The Space Race between America and the Soviet Union
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The Space Race between America and the Soviet Union
The Cold War or “space race” between the U.S. and USSR in the 1950s led to competition to develop aerospace capabilities, including unmanned space probes, human spaceflight, and artificial satellites. The Soviet Union launched the world’s first spacecraft (Sputnik I) in 1957, which created fear and tension on the Eisenhower administration and the American public that the USSR had surpassed America in technological advancement. In 1958, the U.S. federal government created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct civilian aerospace research. Despite the growing external debt, space exploration is worth the cost because it stimulates economic growth in different sectors and inspires other countries through scientific and technological advancements. The USSR achievements in space exploration were a wake-up call to the Americans who owned technological and scientific superiority.
Most Americans still believe that space programs are still relevant despite the growing debt. Studies show that 70% of Republicans, 53% of Conservative Republicans, and 67% of liberal Republicans argue that space exploration is essential (Funk and Straus, 2018). The Soviet Union’s success in space exploration increased American s’ fear for intercontinental ballistic missiles “missile gap,” which could target the U.S. Therefore, space exploration is also a security issue in the American territories. Most Americans believe that space exploration is a domain for the powerful political and economic systems in the world 62 years after the establishment of NASA. Americans support the space shuttle program across gender, education level, political interests, and generational group. The rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet increased Americans’ support for space exploration despite the rising external debt.
Besides, space exploration benefits the American economy by promoting innovation, technology, inspiring people worldwide, advancing space-related industries, and supporting foreign policy. Indeed, there is no single metric that can measure NASA’s economic impact. NASA expenditures promote growth in technology, learning institutions, and businesses. The investments also spur innovation and business growth through more than 1600 new technologies annually, new products, and processes in space-related industries. For instance, NASA has contributed to growth in various industries, including Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite communications, solar cells, accurate weather prediction, and remote sensing. NASA also supports foreign policy through Space Act Agreements that allows the organization to work with any international entity that fulfills its administrative mandate (NASA, 2020). For instance, NASA has partnered with the Government of Spain, the U.K. Space Agency, the Russian Federal Space Agency, Senegal, Norway, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Italy, and Uganda, among others, to achieve a common goal. Moreover, NASA commercializes innovations through patents licenses, Space Agreements Act, software usage agreements, and copyright licenses. Likewise, NASA inspires others worldwide through a reliable scientific knowledge base and developing the next generation engineers and scientists through training in science, engineering, technology, business, and mathematics. Space exploration remains a domain for the world’s powerful nations.
The Soviet Union’s achievement in space exploration in 1957 encouraged the U.S. to invest more in science and technology to retain its superiority on the global map.
NASA plays a critical role in the American and global economies through cutting-edge technology, collaboration, employment creation, business growth, and advancing space-related industries. The U.S. government should invest more in space exploration to boost security, economic development, technological advancement, and international cooperation. Thus, space exploration’s benefits exceed costs to Americans and the world in general.
References
NASA. (2020, August 3). NASA partnerhips: Current Space Act Agreements. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/partnerships/about.html
Straus, C. F. (2018). Majority of Americans Believe it is essential that the U.S. remain a global leader in space. Pew Research Center, 1-26. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2018/06/06/majority-of-americans-believe-it-is-essential-that-the-u-s-remain-a-global-leader-in-space/#:~:text=As%20Americans%20consider%20the%20future,Democratic%20are%20more%20likely%20than