Did Politics Fuel the Space Race?
The term “Space Race” is broadly used to refer to the efforts during the Cold War by the United States and the Soviet Union to outdo one another in launch capability and satellite technology. The stakes were high, and politics served as the major driving force behind the race. This article will explore the various political implications and events that propelled the United States and the Soviet Union to reach for the stars during the Space Race.
What Was the Space Race?
The Space Race was an era of intense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve firsts in space exploration. Both countries invested huge amounts of resources in both civilian and military space programs. It started as a reaction to the launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1. The first spacecraft was launched on October 4, 1957, and quickly alarmed the American public, who’d been led to believe they were ahead of the Russians in aerospace capabilities. This spurred the U.S. to ramp up its own space efforts, eventually leading to the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
The Political Motivations Behind the Space Race
The Cold War, which began at the end of World War II, was perhaps the most notable political event that shaped the Space Race. This era of conflict was characterized by tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union, constant espionage between the two powerhouses, and a lack of formal diplomatic communication or organized military conflict. With the space race, both superpowers had the opportunity to show off their technological capabilities and compete for international supremacy in the eyes of the world.
The immediate cause of the Space Race was the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957. This event set off a chain of events where both countries were in an intense battle to be the first to space.
Space Race Milestones
The Space Race saw a variety of milestones and technological breakthroughs on both sides as the United States and the Soviet Union pushed to reach space first.
• 1957: The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth, on October 4, 1957.
• 1959: The Soviet Luna 1 became the first spacecraft to pass through the Van Allen belt and within 6,000 miles of the Moon’s surface.
• 1961: The Soviet Union launched the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin, and sent him into a single orbit around the planet.
• 1961: The U.S. launched their first man into space, Alan Shepard, for a successful 15-minute suborbital flight.
• 1962: The U.S. and the Soviet Union reached a space agreement called the Outer Space Treaty.
• 1969: The U.S. achieved the ultimate goal of the Space Race, when Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon, in July of 1969.
• 1975: The Soviets and the United States launched Apollo-Soyuz, the first mission to use a major international partnership.
Effects of the Space Race
The Space Race left a lasting impression on the political and economic worlds. Countries increasingly realized the power (and propaganda benefits) that could be had with a successful space program. The Cold War also ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the departure of its space program in 1991.
The other most visible effect of the Space Race was, of course, the myriad space programs launched by countries all over the world. These programs allowed humanity to explore the cosmos and provided us with a seemingly endless list of innovations, such as satellite technology and improved solar power generation.
On a more subtle level, the Space Race helped to push global scientific advancement forward. Without the impetus of the Space Race, much of the technology and research we enjoy could have taken significantly longer to develop, if at all.
The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union certainly had political undertones, and was largely driven by the pressures of the Cold War. It’s undeniable that the Space Race had a profound effect on governments, people, businesses, and science around the world. While it certainly took enormous resources and effort from both sides, the result of the Space Race is something that everyone can appreciate: a better understanding of our universe, and the potential for further exploration into the unknown.
