Although the cold war predates the space race, i will begin this unit with an introduction to the history of space exploration. All the questions on this quiz are based on information that can be found on the page at cold war space race. Both us and soviet union wanted to be the super power and the only way to be the super power, was to get out of the world and discover the outer space cold war affected the space race but in general, technological development was much more importa. A space station is a large, habitable, artificial satellite used as a longterm base for manned operations in space to enable astronauts and cosmonauts to conduct experiments within the space environment. Many erroneous conjectures on soviet space motives advanced by western analysts during the cold war. Encountering the cold war initiated the exploration of a new tool in foreign policy for the united states, technological superiority in space. Mastery of space during the cold war handout copies of the 11 possible image sources. But as someone who has read extensively about the space race, i found this book lacking. It provides factual information regarding important milestones in the space race. Our story of the cold war space race kindle edition by leonov, alexei, scott, david, armstrong, neil, hanks, tom. The cold war and the great space race part 1 19451960 summary in the years after world war ii, the united states and its former ally, the soviet union, became involved in a bitter rivalry on a world stage. Furthermore, in may 1972, the us and the soviet union negotiated an easing of hostile relations. Advances in the sciences like physics and chemistry prompted the inevitable use of them for exploration.
The cold war and the great space race polk county public schools. Mar 06, 2018 both us and soviet union wanted to be the super power and the only way to be the super power, was to get out of the world and discover the outer space cold war affected the space race but in general, technological development was much more importa. Space race timeline explore royal museums greenwich. Use the documents and your knowledge of the time period 19571969 to construct your response. When the united states decided to compete in space, prestige became a major factor in national security and. This thaw in the cold war led to cooperation between the two nations on future missions, and the space race became a joint venture. The space race was considered important because it showed the world which country had the best science, technology, and economic system. Students should have general background knowledge of cold war tensions between the united states and the soviet union. For webquest or practice, print a copy of this quiz at cold war space race webquest print page. From the mid1950s to 1975, the united states and the soviet union struggled to outdo each other in rocket technology and space exploration. It really started in 1957, when the soviet union became the 1st country to launch a satellite into space.
Nationalism, ideology, and the cold war space race. Why was the launch of sputnik so historically significant toward the space race. During the cold war the united states and the soviet union engaged a competition to see who had the best technology in space. List the achievements firsts of the superpowers involved in the space race. The below timeline is a visual representation of the space race between the usa and the ussr. The images could be loaded into a presentation program such as powerpoint to facilitate class discussion either before or after viewing the space race. Moving beyond the borders of europe, it spread to asia and even into space. Students doing tons of homework after a period of shunning homework at the turn of the 20th century, the soviet unions launch of sputnik 1 spurred an. Your students will learn about the history of the space race during the cold war. Aug 22, 2015 we have all heard of the space race at one point. But what actually was the space race and why is it still important. There are some insights into the early soviet space program that i found interesting.
The cold warthe space race wikibooks, open books for an. The space race timeline 1945 1991 interesting cold war timeline and facts for kids are detailed below together with details of important events encompassing important dates covering the history of sputnik, project mercury, the first men in space, the gemini program and the first man on the moon. Scroll down the page and read the cold war arms race section. After an introduction that describes the beginning of the space race, your students can see how the soviets took an early lead through its satellites before the us caught up. Cold war and us society 19501975 19501975 powerpoint cloze notes civil rights and the 1950s crash course video. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading two sides of the moon. The cold war was a tense time in history, from 1945 to 1991 it involved the us and ussr competing against one another in non direct military conflict and vying for superiority in sporting events, espionage, or who could get to space first. Cold war space race info worksheet by students of history tpt.
The space stations 1971 the next step in the cold war space race was the development of space stations. The space race greatly affected the the cold war history essay. Students make a judgement about the success level of the space race at each key event and colour in the bar chart in one of two colours depending on whether it was a us or soviet union development to see how the space race developed and culminated in the 1969. In many ways, the cold war began even before the guns fell silent in germany and in the pacific in 1945. Cold war space race webquest with key by history matters. The united states and the soviet union, 19171991 new york. This set the predominant tone for the cold war era of u. The arms race and the space race the cold war 19481960. This article is adapted from material presented in his book, the heavens and the. For the casual reader with limited knowledge of early spaceflight, two sides of the moon might be a worthwhile read. I encourage all students to use the powaski text as the core of the class, since it contains the overall narrative of the cold war.
Four years after the sputnik shock of 1957, the cosmonaut yuri gagarin had become the first human in space on april 12, 1961, greatly embarrassing the u. Pdf the space age and cold war developed together, both combining civil. Cold war space race info worksheet this very simple worksheet includes a reading and chart about key moments in america and the soviet unions space race. Mcdougall is a professor in the department of history at the university of california in berkeley. The landing on the moon was the us greatest accomplishment which is what won them the space race. Soviet relations for decades and resurfaced as soon as the alliance against adolf hitler was no longer necessary. Soviet cold war had worked its way into the fabric of everyday life in both countries, fueled by the arms race and the growing threat of nuclear weapons, wideranging. The space race greatly affected the the cold war history essay the space race wasnt just the product of the first man on the moon, it was much more than that.
After world war ii, the united states and its allies, and the soviet union and its satellite states began. What were the outcomes of the space race between the two cold war superpowers. Cold war space programs, the dependent variable is success. Cold war and the space race stuffexplained youtube. The space race was a cold war competition between the united states and the soviet union to develop aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites. We will then go backward chronologically to study the origins of the cold war, beginning. The right stuff by tom wolfe, hidden figures by margot lee shetterly, failure is not an option. To understand the space race, one must understand the underlying arms race that had already pitted the two world superpowers against each other by the mid1950s. The american space exploration narrative from the cold war. Competing ideologies and visions of the postwar world prevented u. In the absence of any real fighting, space exploration provided a focus for the competition between the two superpowers. This very simple worksheet includes a reading and chart about key moments in america and the soviet unions space race. Success is a relative term, and both programs were arguably very successful in comparison to the rest of the world, which was considerably lacking in space efforts on the part of other nations. Sputnik, the space race, and the cold war walter a.
At the end of world war ii, the united states and the soviet union began a decadeslong battle for political, military, and technological superiority. Cold war space race webquest with key this 6 page document contains a webquest and teachers key related to the basics of the space race during the cold war. Read the introductory paragraph about the space race define the term space race what was the official beginning of the space race and what was the date of this event. The cold war 1947 1991 introduction the grand alliance formed by the u. It had its origins in the ballistic missile based nuclear arms race between the two nations that occurred following world war ii.
The cold war consequences and origins cloze notes cold war webquest. Throughout the space race, the cold war was extended into the heavens and even threatened to annihilate earthly life in a nuclear devastation. How are the space race and the cold war related to each other. In general, kennedy felt great pressure to have the united states catch up to and overtake the soviet union in the space race. This included such events as who could put the first manned spacecraft into orbit and who would be the first to walk on the moon. To what extent did the race to space from 19571969 reflect political, social, and economic aspects of the cold war. Launching americas era of space exploration video and sputnik and the. The space race began due to the conflict between the us and ussr during the cold war. Historical background early space exploration was fueled, in part, by the cold war competition between the united states and the soviet union. This is especially true if one considers the space race, of the mid 1950s1960s, where each country tried to outdo the other in all manner of space technology. An american cartoon satirising the space race cold war rivalry moved beyond the political and military spheres and into competition for technological superiority.
At the same time the usa and the ussr greatly increased their nuclear arsenals. After 1969, the space race was massively toned down and the idea that there was a space race going was starting to get. It was created by a wikimedia user named justin ormont. Cold war space race info worksheet space race, history. It was a huge scientific discovery of space discovered not only by the united space, but by the soviet union as well. As such, the space programs of the superpowers were virtually the only two in the space game. The space race cold war success graph teaching resources. In 1957, the ussr successfully launched its first ever satellite, the sputnik. Students make a judgement about the success level of the space race at each key event and colour in the bar chart in one of two colours depending on whether it was a us or soviet union development to see how the space race developed and culminated in the 1969 moon landings. The space race was a 20thcentury competition between two cold war rivals, the soviet union ussr and the united states us, to achieve firsts in spaceflight capability. The us soon responded, as the ability to place objects in orbit encouraged serious space research in the us. One of the most enduring legacies of the cold war period was the rivalry between the soviet union and the united states. The cost of being in the space race was in the billions, and both the usa and the ussr knew that their economies wouldnt be able to handle this cost for long each new achievement was even more expensive than the last one.