Space Race Research Paper

How did the Space race improve society with their advanced technology? We know they had advanced in technology that wasn't here 50 years ago, but, how did technology built for space go in our everyday lives? One of the most obvious technologies that we created was Satellite Tv, this is one of the tech breakthroughs that we couldn't think of a life without to keep us entertained. The same goes for computers and laptops. The Space Race made satellites a possibility when they were used to communicate with astronauts before soon they made satellite dishes. NASA invented many pieces of technology that both benefited them in space and people at home watching TV, playing on their video games and even where I'm typing this on... the computer.

During the Cold War between 1947-1991, the Space Race took place between the United States of America and the Soviet Union, the two superpowers of the world. The Cold War was a time of political tension between both nations; the Space Race is just a small segment of the story to be explained of the forty-four year time period. The Space Race was never intentionally made between the two powers, but became a natural stand to show who is the more commanding country. The main reason of the Space Race was to see which country had the most potential in not only spaceflight, but as an overall country. The significance of the Space race was to show dominance over either country by placing a satellite into orbit, sending the first men to space, and

During the 20th century, both the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and the United States were in a heated competition commonly known as the Space Race. It began with the Soviets launching the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, on October 7, 1957. The Soviets continued their lead with the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. There is speculation as to exactly when the Space Race ended, as the most common theory is the Apollo-Soyuz project in 1975 however, other opinions say that the Apollo 8 mission had marked the end , proving that travel to the moon was possible. Regardless, the space race left a significant impact on the technology world that still affects us to this very day.

In the Space Race, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961, this was a big accomplishment, but to let a human being going to space the scientist have been studying life with the help of animals. The space travel was still very new to the community, consequently the scientist didn't really know whether life could survive in space. All these experiments helped to humans to go to space and go back safety during the Space Race. Animal testing was necessary during the Space Race because each launch was a test of new technology to help the development of the rockets, even if a lot of animals were lost, scientist learned from these tests, to construct better rockets, flight capsules, and landing gear. During the Space Race, the Soviet Union and the United States were in a competition which started with the first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1).

The space race was a race to see who could do more and get more done in space. It was done against the U.S and the USSR. The USSR was the first to make something orbit the Earth that was the spacecraft Sputnik I. In 1957 USSR launch the Sputnik I it took 98 minutes to make its orbit. It spend 21 days in space before it burned up in the atmosphere. The USSR later launched Sputnik II. It carried the first living thing in space a dog named Laika.The US was going crazy on how Russia has passed them in technology. Almost two years later the US made the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The USSR kept on making successful launches in may 1958 they launch Sputnik III which carried 2 thousand pounds to space. In April 1961 the USSR launched the Vostok I it had the first man to orbit the Earth his name was Yuri Gagarin. A month later the US had the first American to go to space his name was Alan Shepard.

During the Space Race many technological advancements were made in the medical field from software to safety measures. Some examples of medical technology include artificial limbs and the heart pump. These advancements were important during this time because they had power to keep people alive, and was the first technology of its time during that period. Technology to increase safety was very much needed as well, and it came out of the Space Race. The safety enhancements created include mine removal systems, chemical detectors and grooves in highways to improve traction.These systems that were created were very important because they have the power to warn and stop people from potential dangers. Updated software technology also dramatically increased during the Space Race. Software advancements from the Space Race include 3D maps, visual weather forecasting, and visual trackers of the International Space station. These advancements were very important to progression of technology because they allowed people to learn more about weather and the moon by visual interpretation, which can help with predicting storms and teaching people more about the moon(“NASA Spinoff, NASA Technologies Benefit Our Lives”). Some advancements truly did help the progression of the Space Program, but others came as a result of the Space Race. But without the advancements that came during the Space Race,

The Apollo 11 mission would be the first ever attempt to land a human on the moon. President John F. Kennedy would announce that the U.S would soon be attempting the first landing on the moon. On July 16, 1969 John F. Kennedy's dream and claim would become a reality, when Neil Armstrong was the first man that landed on the moon. The famous quote to remember that moment was " That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." ( Klempner et al.).

The Space Race had so many things happening while it was on. For that was because the Soviet Union and America were going at it so they both wanting to be at the top. They were trying hard to be so good and be better than one another. From that, they made so much advanced technology that we use today.

The Impact of the Space Race on Modern America Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated with the stars and their possibilities. The Mayans are very likely one of the most well known ancient astronomers. In the Mesoamerican culture, celestial events were thought to be a communication from the gods; this influenced their religious culture greatly. But the astronomical studies that really made the Mayans stand out, were the ones that they used to create a complex calendar system and a way to measure the passing of time.

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too." This quote was made by John F. Kennedy on September 12, 1962, and it encompasses the dedication the US had to winning the Space Race, a space technology race between the United States and Soviet Russia. The Space Race would soon become a huge competition led by many big factors and decisions. Overall, The Space Race started with the USSR's launch of Sputnik, an event which fueled nationalism in both countries, and ended with the United States landing a man on the moon.

During the space race, both the US and the Soviet Union achieved a lot. Some say the US won the race because it landed the first human on the Moon but no one can take anything away from the USSR. Soviet accomplished a lot and had more “firsts” then the US until the US caught up. Both the US and the USSR won the space race.

From 1958 to 1959 the Soviet Union put a hold on the Sputnik program to focus on the Luna series of vehicles that were being sent toward the moon. On October 4, 1959, exactly two years after the first Sputnik launch, the Soviet Union sent the first spacecraft around the moon. Luna 3 recorded images of the Moon’s surface and broadcast

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During the late 50s and early 60s the United States was falling behind in this race, but it wasn’t over. The next task was to be able to send groups of people into space together on one ship. This initiated the Voskhod and Gemini programs, Voskhod in the Soviet Union and Gemini in the United States. In the Soviets’ case there was not much changed from the Vostok craft except for the fact that they could fit 2 or 3 people on the craft. The Soviet Union only did two manned flights with the Voskhod program and left it; one flight in ’64 and one in ’65. The United States had completely changed from their original Mercury program though. It had a new design and “ the new design retained the conical, nickel-alloy walls and fiberglass ablative heat shield of Mercury, it also made use of new features – such as translations control thrusters to alter orbit, hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells to generate electricity, a radar system to allow rendezvous with other craft, and avionics that could withstand depressurization”(Universe Today). These missions whether one manned or not all helped paved the way to the “final lap” in the race to space. The United States and the Soviet Union each wanted to be the first to put a man on the moon; thus the start of the Soyuz and Apollo programs. For the UNITED States and NASA the Apollo missions started in 1961, but the first flight was in 1967 after they concluded with all the Gemini missions. The first ever Apollo flight ended in tragedy with an electrical fire starting and the capsule was destroyed killing the three people on board of the spacecraft. Many unmanned trials went about until finally the second manned trial by NASA in December 1968 with the Apollo 8 flight. Unlike Apollo 1, Apollo 8 was a huge

The Space Race was a competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space. From 1955 until 1975, both sides battled it out to be the leader in the competition. Fueled by the Cold War and other causes of the beginning of the race, the Soviet Union and the United States fought for authority in a very public manner through the media. There were many achievements at this time and it led the way for many great things to come afterwards.