The Space Race first emerged as World War II was coming to a close. While many European nations seemed to be exhausted and severely weakened, two new, and polar opposite, global superpowers appeared: The United States of America and the Soviet Union. The two countries presented conflicting ideologies, giving rise to the Cold War. After the World War, there was growing fear about nuclear warfare and the idea of being able to transport these nuclear weapons into space. Due to this, America started drastically increasing government spending, specifically military spending. Germany was assumed to be the strongest force in rocket science during WWII after the launch of V-2, the first long range missile to be sent into space. As a result, the newborn NASA sought to recruit German rocket engineers to aid them in their race against the USSR.

The Space Race lasted for over a decade, from October 4, 1957 to July 20, 1969. On October 4, 1957, the USSR officially launched Sputnik I, an R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile and the first artificial satellite to be sent into space. With the launch of Sputnik, the Soviets gained a massive advantage and mounted pressure on the United States. A month later, the Soviet Union put the first animal, Laika the dog, into space, putting them even further ahead of the Americans. Four years later, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave the United States a speech challenging them to reach the moon by the end of the decade. A few years later, America initiated the Gemini and Apollo programs through NASA. These were programs focused on sending people (astronauts) and testing procedures that could be used. During this time period, the American government prioritized and funded space education programs. On July 20, 1969, after many failed attempts, the United States’ investments appeared to be successful. Via the Apollo 11 mission, America was able to successfully send a crew of three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, to the moon.

All in all, the Space Race was a significant event in American history, emphasizing the conflict between democracy and communism and heavily contributing to civics and government in modern day. Starting off as an arms race, branching off from the Cold War, the Space Race soon became a deliberate battle for space exploration between the United States and the Soviet Union. After lasting for 12 years, the Space Race concluded in 1969 with the successful execution of Apollo 11. To this day, the Space Race impacts our government by encouraging federal spending on space exploration, serving as propaganda for the government, and promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education nationwide.