The Space Race

1
The Space Race

• by Johanna Json-Toft and James Lothrop

2
Thesis

• The space race was necessary because it showed
  that the U.S. was technologically superior to the
  U.S.S.R on earth and in space.

3
Overview

• President Truman did not see the importance of
  space
• The US felt it was more important to focus on
  conventional weapons than on space exploration
• As a result, USSR got a head start
• Once the soviets had begun working on satellites.
  The US was afraid that USSR was able to spy on
  them
• Democrats felt that this was an issue of
  national defense
• President Eisenhower felt that the USSR had no
  influence on the US ( in space)

4
Reasons for the Space Race

• The US wanted to catch up with the USSR
• Concerned about the security of citizens
• US. felt threatened- using satellites gave the
  competitor a chance to spy
• Ultimate Superiority

5
Sputnik

• October 4, 1957
• first artificial satellite into space
• U.S Reaction
• they felt even more unsafe about the U.S.S.R.
  There was fear and outrage that they beat us to
  it
• The public believed that only federal spending
  could diminish the threat of the Soviets in
  space? forced Congress and the president into
  action
• Eisenhower did not feel threatened
• Congress passed the National Defense of
  Education Act

6
One Giant Leap for Mankind- Neil Armstrong

• Eisenhower asked congress create NASA
• Khrushchev had sent Yuri A. Gagarin, a cosmonaut,
  to orbit the Earth
• Explorer 1- was a failure to the US
• President Kennedy - Sent out astronauts to orbit
  the earth, by a satellite. His goal for the
  United States was to land a man on the Moon and
  returning him safely.
• July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon
• Why is this important? Kennedy and Eisenhower
  thought that we had to change the way the Space
  Race was going for us, it lead to many advances
  in technology

7
Cause and Effects

• Sputnik ?Explorer 1, NDEA
• Explorer 1? another Satellite by the USSR
• USSR sent Yuri A. Gagarin ? led to the U.S.
  success in sending the first man to the moon, and
  others to orbit the Earth

8
Struggles of the US

• Explorer 1
• Sputnik 1 and other satellites that the USSR
  launched
• The Congress only took action after Sputnik had
  been launched into space
• Example The National Defense Education Act

9
What the USSR thought of us

• Explorer 1- it gave the USSR an impression that
  the US was weak
• They felt very proud about their success with the
  space race being the first to do many things
• Democracy was an inferior ideology by
  conquering space, the USSR felt that they could
  spread communism

10
Summary

• The space race was necessary because it showed
  that the U.S. was technologically superior to the
  U.S.S.R on earth and in space. The space race
  gave us many opportunities to make advances in
  technology. The US involvement in the space race
  has contributed to us becoming a superpower. John
  Pike states , The modern style of American
  Warfare is impossible without space, it is one
  of the reasons that we are a superpower
  (ProQuest).

11
Bibliography

• Central Intelligence Agency. "U.S. President
  Eisenhower's Press Conference on the U-2
  Incident, May 11, 1960 Excerpts". Central
  Intelligence Agency. Official Use. Issue date
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  1985. Unsanitized. Complete. 3 page(s). Microform
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• Science "Apollo 11 Lands on the Moon, July 20,
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• Gilbert, James. "Sputnik U.S. Reaction, 1957."
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  2006 lthttp//infotrac.galegroup.com/gt.
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• Sappenfield, Mark. "US Moves to Create a
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