At the end of WW2 America and Russia were very far ahead of every other country in economic and military terms. They were much more powerful than every other country and were known as “Superpowers.” America was Capitalist and Soviet Russia was communist.

They were both suspicious and afraid of each other and it was a time of great tension and hostility. Both wanted their way of life to spread around the world and were afraid that the other side wanted to destroy them. They both built up massive armies to defend themselves and spent huge amounts of money to develop new weapons to try to make themselves stronger from the other side so that they would be safer and secure.

It was called “The Cold War” because they never fought each other directly but they were always ready to fight and afraid war might break out. They did help communists and capitalist forces when war broke out between them in other countries.

During WW2 the US spent vast amounts on developing new weapons. They were the first country to develop an Atom/Nuclear bomb and they used them in 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The US led the world in military technology and wanted to stay ahead. The US and Soviet Russia competed to develop new and better weapons so that they would be more powerful than their rivals.

This competition to develop new, bigger and more destructive weapons was called THE ARMS RACE. It also led to the development of new technologies that have become important parts of everyday life such as computers and the internet.

The US spent more and more money on weapons development and the army in the years following WW2. Vast amounts were given to large companies such as Boeing and IBM to develop weapons technology for the army.

The link between business and the military was called the military-industrial complex.

In 1950 the total US budget was $40 billion and $12 billion was spent on the military.

In 1960 the total budget was $92 billion and $80 billion was spent on the military.

Some people worried that Cold War fears were made worse by powerful people and interests who had profits to gain from increased government spending on weapons/armaments.

The US was the first country to develop Nuclear weapons in 1945. It used 2 bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing 148,000 people.

In 1949 the Soviet Union exploded its first atom/Nuclear Bomb.

This led the US to develop the Hydrogen Bomb in 1952. It was 1,000 times more powerful than the first A-Bomb.

Nuclear powered submarines were developed in the 60s that could stay under the sea for a long time and could fire Nuclear weapons.

Soviet Russia matched the US in terms of developing new and more powerful Nuclear weaponry throughout the 50s and 60s.

The US developed two early warning systems that would detect any incoming Soviet Missiles and allow a quick counter attack.

The Distant Early Warning System (DEW) used Radar stations in Canada and Alaska.

The Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) carried radar systems on planes that stayed airborne 24 hours a day every day.

By the 1950s each side had enough nuclear weapons to destroy the other.

The fact that each side had Nuclear weapons deterred (stopped) each side from attacking the other since any attack would lead to the destruction of both sides. This was called mutually assured destruction. (MAD)

The Jet engine for planes was developed after WW2 and first used in The Korean War.

In the 1950s the US developed supersonic air to air missiles that would attack enemy aircraft. They were called the Sidewinder, Phoenix and Falcon.

Helicopters were developed and used in the Korean War and Vietnam.

Huge aircraft carriers were developed to carry American airpower around the world. They allowed planes and helicopters to land, refuel and take off.

Spy planes were developed to allow reconnaissance missions. High flying planes like the U-2 were developed that could fly high above enemy defences.

Later spy satellites would be put in space to listen to radio communications, take pictures and pick out targets of for the army. These would later be used to develop GPS systems.

1945-1957 : Competing Rocket Technologies :

During WW2 Germany and the Nazis were ahead of the rest of the world in rocket technology. They had developed two powerful rockets called the V1 and the V2 that could deliver a missile/bomb a long distance.

The war ended before they could be used. The American army and the Soviet Russian army both tried to capture the German rocket scientists who could help them develop their own rockets.

The US captured Werner Von Braun who had been head of research for the Germans.

The Russians spent more time on money on developing rockets in the 50s and they launched the first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in 1957. These could bring missiles and bombs across the ocean and allow attacks on America from Russia.

GROWS OUT OF ROCKET TECHNOLOGY.Soviet Russia then used the same rocket

technology to launch an unmanned (no-one on board) satellite (technology in space that orbits the earth) into space. SPUTNIK

This created a sense of panic in the US. They were afraid that the Soviets might be able to launch a missile attack from space and it would not be able to be detected.

The Americans were shocked. They had thought that they had the lead in rocket technology.

It now appeared that they were losing the technological battle. This had security implications.

The Soviet achievements were also scientific victories for their way of organising an economy and running society.

They had an enormous propaganda value.

The US increased its spending on rocket and space technology to catch up with Soviet Russia.

They developed their first ICBM in 1958 called the Atlas rocket. It was later followed by the Titan and then in 1962 by the Minutemen rocket that could be fired from underground. They all had a very long range.

NASA set up by President Eisenhower. In 1958 the National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA) was set up with the aim of catching up and then overtaking Soviet Russia in the space race.

In 1958, the US launched its first satellite, Explorer 1, into space using their new rocket technology.

The Soviets were still ahead however and in 1960 their Luna 2 probe was the first man made object to land on the moon. They also put the first person in space in 1961. (Yuri Gargarin)

NASA started testing if people could survive in space.

They flew 6 manned tests flights between 1959 and 1963.

In 1958 Alan Shephard became the first US astronaut to be sent into space.

In 1962 John Glen became the first US to orbit the Earth.

In 1961, in a defining moment for the Space race, Kennedy announced that America had set itself the goal of putting a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

It was an expression of American determination to prove that the capitalist way of life was superior and could achieve more.

The Americans also wanted to make sure that they took back the lead in the technological battle with the Soviet Union.

He said it was “time to take a clearly leading role” and commit to the “single most impressive space project.”

It would cost 100s of millions of dollars. Kennedy justified the expense by saying that such massive investment would create lots of new companies and thousands of jobs.

A rocket needed to be developed that could launch a manned craft to the moon and back.

A way of navigating to the moon had yet to be developed.

A life support system would have to be put in place to allow astronauts to survive over a week in space. A protective space suit did not yet exist.

A craft that could separate from the main obiter, land on the moon, re-launch and dock with the obiter would have to be developed.

MERCURY (59-63)One man missions.1st successes – gathered info. On

human reactions to being in space.6 manned missions.1961 – Shepherd first American in

space.1962 – John Glen – first American to

orbit the Earth.

GEMINI ( 63-66)2 Man crafts.10 manned missions – docking,

spacewalks.Still a year behind the Soviets.Gemini 4 – first space walk – 1965Gemini 7- 2 weeks in space – crew

safe.Gemini 8 – 1st successful docking.

The US was pouring money into the space programme.

The USSR only made landing a man on the moon a goal in 1964.

The Soviet leaders who took over from Kruchtev in 63 were less enthusiastic about the space programme.

The USSR sent unmanned craft to the moon but these missions had many problems.

APOLLO (61-72) Aim to land a man on the moon and return 3 men craft 1967 – Apollo 1 – tragedy – 3 men killed –

fire at launch 1967 – 1st successful test of Saturn 5

rockets – heaviest object to fly – most powerful rocket

1968 – Apollo 7 – Saturn 5 - put 3 man craft into orbit

Apollo 8 – 1st manned mission to the moon – proved it was possible to navigate there and back

1969 – Apollo 10 – separated lunar module and descended to within 10 miles of the moon’s surface – dress rehearsal for moon landings

16th July – Launch Kennedy Space Centre. 9.32am

19th July – reached Orbit20th July – Landing – 2 and half hour

moon walk22nd July – Leave Moon Orbit to

return24th July – Land in the Pacific.

Neil Armstrong – born 1930 – naval pilot Korean war – Astronaut 1962 – Gemini 8 (68) – back up commander Apollo 8 – Commander Apollo 11 – 1st on moon

Buzz Aldrin – 1930 – combat pilot Korea – Astronaut 63 – PHD astronautics – 5 hr space walk 1966 Gemini 12 – Lunar Module pilot – 2nd on moon

Michael Collins – Test fighter pilot – 63 astronaut – pilot Gemini 10 (66) – command module pilot

Million watching 9.32 am3 stage rocket systemAfter one and a half orbits fired thrusters –

25,000 miles per hour – head t moon 250,000 miles away

Moon orbit – every 2 hrs – stayed for 60 hrs 20th – descend to moon in lunar module –

controlled by guidance computers in Heuston

160 feet from surface – problem in landing area – big boulders – craft would fall over and be unable to take off

Armstrong took control – flew past 2 craters – smooth landing – only 30 seconds of fuel left

Carried out checks for a few hours

At 10.56 pm Armstrong went outside, took the first step on the moon and started recording – 600 million watching on TV

They took soil samples Put up a flag and plaque Collected 60 pounds of moon rock Drilled for core samples Put in place a seismometer –

earthquakes

They went back inside the module after 2 and a half hours

Dumped equipment, had a meal and a sleep 22 hours after landing the top half blasted off 3 hrs later they docked again with the

command module – the lunar module was released and they started the journey back to earth.

24th July – reached Earth – dumped service module – entered Earth atmosphere – 2760 degrees celius

Parachutes – Pacific – 1,000 miles from Hawaii

They were rescued by Divers Taken to the USS Hornet Put in QuarantineGiven the Presidential medal of

freedom – ticker tape parade in New York

They went on a goodwill tour of 24 countries in 45 days

It had great propoganda power and was seen as a victory of the American and capatilist way of life

The US had taken the lead in the space race – it had proven its technological superiority – people said that it proved that capatislism was the best way to organise human activity and that it could achieve better results than communism.