The Space Race

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how, in the 1950s, the two superpowers of world affairs, the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic, engaged in a quest for ultimate power that would in time become known as the Cold War. The paper examines the competition between the nations, known as the Space Race. The paper further explores the meaning of the Space Race and its accomplishments within the context of the Cold War.

Outline:
Abstract
The Purpose of the Space Race
Time Well Spent and Energy Used Wisely?
Larger Purpose of the Space Race
Does Society Need This Kind of Enterprise?
Conclusion
Works Cited

From the Paper:

"From the point of view of the Americans, the Space Race also took on a much more significant purpose than simply showing that space exploration was possible; early in the consideration of the potential of space exploration and travel, it was realized that the technology and science that could be derived from an effective space program would have many uses, and in light of the possibility of Assured Destruction, defense was one of the most important. In the minds of the American government, the demise of communism was the key to winning the Cold War outright."

Sample of Sources Used:

• McDougall, Walter A. 1985. The Heavens and Earth: A Political History of the Space Age. New York: Basic Books.
• Reeves, Robert. 1994. The Superpower Space Race: An Explosive Rivalry through the Solar System. New York: Plenum Press.
• Sturdevant, Rick W. 2005. The First Space Race: Launching the World's First Satellites. Air Power History 52, no. 2: 53+.

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