Why did space become a battle
ground in the Cold War?
Joon
Thesis Statement
• The space program became the leading
project during the Cold War where two
superpowers were to use it as military,
political, and economical superiority over one
another meanwhile it was to grant two men’s
ideologies to achieve space travelling.
Father of Space Program
• Wernher Von Braun: In early times during Nazis
regime, he was the technical director of ballistic missile
program. He, also helped develop the American missile
and space exploration programs. He helped United
States to compete in Space Race.
• Sergey Korolyov: USSR’s chief rocket and spacecraft
engineer. Previously years, he was imprisoned six years
in Siberia during Joseph Stalin’s Great Purge during
1938. He made it possible for Soviet Union to launch
world’s first artificial satellite in space, Sputnik on 1957.
Early Space race: 1955~1961
• Declaration of artificial satellite in space from both
superpowers on 1955
• Sputnik first artificial satellite to be in the space, by Soviet
Union on 1957, which embarrassed United States’
technology.
• Explorer 1, after 4 months later Sputnik was launched,
United States launch their first artificial satellite.
• First man to be in Space in 1961, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri
Gagarin on April 12, and American Astronaut Alan Shepard
in May 5.
Space Race to Moon Race: 1961~1969
• President John F. Kennedy supports the Moon
race, initiating the Apollo Program on May 25
1961.
• The space race competition continued even in
Moon race.
• Soviet Union Soyuz spacecraft and United States
Apollo spacecraft, both were the name of
spacecraft that would land in the Moon.
• 1969, United States wins the Moon race when
Apollo 11 lands in the Moon, Neil Armstrong gets
to be the first man stepping on the moon.
Space Race ends:1970~1975
• Space Station
• Soviet’s Space station Salyut 1 was launched on
April 1971.
• United States follows to launch their space
station called Skylab 1 on May 19 1973, then later
launched Skylab 4 on July 11 1979.
• During the period of Détente in 1970s, both
superpowers did a joint mission called ApolloSoyuz Test Project (ASTP). It was the political plan
to ease both nations’ relations.
Continuation of Space
• President Ronald Reagan announced Strategic
Defense Initiative in 1983. It was designed to
prevent Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD).
• President Bill Clinton renamed it as Ballistic
Missile Defense Organization in 1993.
• Potential to develop future space technology
and space warfare.
Conclusion
• It has become inevitable for both superpowers
to use space as their competition, because the
space technology was hinted to be the next
future generation of world’s technology. In the
meantime it was the best way to use it as a
ostensible decoration between the two
superpowers, without any casualties of
winning.