The race to the moon began on October 5, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik into orbit around the earth: “When the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik, on October 4, 1957, the United States experienced a technological identity crisis”(Olson). The United States retaliated by trying to beat the
During the Cold War there was a fight for economic and political dominance between the United States and their allies, and the Soviet Union and their allies. This struggle brought a lot of tension between these two countries as they both searched for newer ways to develop and enhance their rocket systems to deliver nuclear pay loads. It was during this time that an elaborate competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to be the first to land a man on the moon developed. This competition was known as the Space Race. The Soviets started out way ahead of the Americans in this race.
Throughout this speech, Kennedy admits to the huge amounts of money being spent on the space program. Kennedy establishes the reasons that are in place for reaching this monumental goal. The speech was intended both directly and indirectly to the Soviet Union as a warning that the US will win the space race, who was also competing in the same race, the space race. Kennedy hoped by appealing to public opinion, he could further build a base for America’s journey to the moon. He spoke not only to the citizens of society in the United States but to spirited individuals around the whole world.
When their first attempts failed, Congress passed the National Defense and Education Act, to "assist in greater efforts in specific areas of national concern." The Act increased federal funding for "education in science and engineering" (Document G). Congress also developed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to manage the U.S. construction of spaceships. The fears of the Soviets dominating modern technology and warfare terrified Americans, intensifying the fears of the spread of communism into the United States. Amidst the communist hysteria, the United States either needed to make peace with the Soviets or contain the communists.
President John F. Kennedy passionately delivered his speech “We choose to go to the moon” at Rice University on September 12, 1962 to persuade citizens to help fund and support the effort of NASA to send a manned spaceflight to the moon. Kennedy’s use of anaphora, specification of possible outcomes and rhetorical questions provides an overwhelming show of his confidence in the United States being the first on the moon. John F. Kennedy repeatedly used anaphora in his speech to strike into the hearts of the people. “Despite the striking fact that most of the scientists… despite the fact that this Nation’s own scientific manpower… despite that, the vast stretches of the unknown…” In this quote, he wanted to emphasize that despite all that we have accomplish we still have more to go. We cannot stop and say we are satisfied with what we have now.
Astronomy. This is a great article about how a small group of people are trying to convince everyone that the moon landing was a hoax and the whole thing was scripted. They came up with some evidence that NASA had faked the moon landing and that it was being kept a big secret. Once again Bill Kaysing makes an appearance. The article also says that he wrote a book about the moon landing being fake.
The USA then went onto create the first B-52 long-range bombers. These where able to fly 6,000 miles and deliver a nuclear payload. Such a development required massive financial backing from the goverment, something which America could afford to do and Russia could not. These also show that America was ahead in the arms race as the USSR where unable to transport nuclear weapons to anywhere near the distance that the Americans where able to do causing the USSR to become even more secure. On the otherhand it could be argued that it was the Russians who where ahead in the arms race with things such as the USSR's first Hydrogen bomb test in August of 1953.
For a brief while, the USSR stood proud, having been the first to reach the Final Frontier. However, the US saw this as no threat until the launch of the Sputnik 2, not even a month later. Larger than its original counterpart, this satellite carried a small dog inside of it, which survived moving into orbit around the Earth. The US then realized that if a living creature could be launched into space inside of a satellite and survive; a nuclear bomb could do the same. Thus, the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile was born.
Speculation that the moon landings were faked began circulating almost as soon as the Apollo 11 landed back on Earth. Bill Kaysing, author of ‘We Never Went to the Moon: Americas 30 Billion Dollar Swindle’, is often credited with being the leader of the moon landing conspiracy theories. He was also featured in ‘Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?’. The show created a stir and is credited with reviving speculation that the landings were a hoax. After the broadcast, NASA was bombarded with so many questions from the public that it was forced to post an official answer on its website.
The reality was the American pressure, on London and Paris that ended the war. However, in the aftermath Khrushchev became bolder, believing nuclear weapons overpowered all other factors in international relation, evident by cutting Stalin’s navy production and in 1960 reduction of troops. Furthermore in October 1957, Soviets unveiled the launch of artificial intelligence satellite had been launched into space, Sputnik. Now the USA was afraid of nuclear war, evident by the boost in military spending. In November 1958, Khrushchev boldness can be seen by the ultimatum for the Western Allies on the German question.