The Moon Landing Impact on Cold War Essay Example

“The two superpowers engaged in a contest that changed the nature of the Cold War and profoundly affected America’s perception of national identity”(“Space Race” 3). This contest was known as the Space Race which would culminate with the Moon Landing in 1969, and these superpowers were the United States and the Soviet Union. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s steps on the moon would go down as one of the greatest accomplishments in world history, but more importantly, it had major implications and effects involving the Cold War. The Moon Landing was imperative for the US in gaining back their edge over the USSR during the Cold War as it exponentially increased American morale while simultaneously depleting Soviet morale, and by developing new technological advancements that would substantially strengthen the US’s power. 

The leadup to the Moon Landing entailed a lot of drama and tension between the two leading powers in the world. It began with the beginning of the Space Race which was a competition to prove to the world that they were technologically superior. It’s important to note that at the time the only thing the general public knew about space was what they absorbed from sci-fi books and movies. That is what made the Space Race so important, to be the first nation to explore the unknown. The USSR would strike first by launching the first satellite into space known as Sputnik I. This shocked both the US and the world as it was an extraordinary achievement in world history. This tremendous achievement would demoralize the US, with men from president Eisenhower’s administration talking about moving on from the Space Race as they thought it would be impossible for them to catch up. The Soviet Union would then send Yuri Gagarin into orbit making him the first human in space. The news troubled Americans as they were falling behind in the Space Race faster than anticipated. Before Gagarin would make history, America planned to send Alan Sheperd to become the first human in space in what was known as Project Mercury. The decision by the Americans to perform a final unmanned test run would result in a lost oppurtunity. During this minor delay, the Soviets would launch Gagarin into space. When Sheperd went into space 3 weeks later it was insignificant in comparison. The Soviet Union had overshadowed the US due to a precautionary test. The Soviets would continue making immense strides by racking up new achievements including the first woman in space. This shifted America’s focus to the Moon Landing as they needed to do something to outdo everything the USSR had done previously. Both sides would work endlessly attempting to become the first country to land a human on the moon in what would certainly be the defining moment in the Space Race. Then, on July 16th, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would become the first humans to reach the moon, effectively winning the Space Race for the US in the process. 

One of the main effects the 1969 Moon Landing had was that it exponentially increased American morale while depleting Soviet morale at the same time. It was a dream situation for the U.S. as they were finally able to show off their technology to the world in becoming the first country to land a human on the moon. Even when the future looked dull,  JFK’s determination to win the Space Race kept hope alive during the years after his death. JFK believed “that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth” (Kennedy 1). JFK’s determination was influential to the success of the Moon Landing because he was the one pushing the country harder and harder as he recognized the importance of winning the Space Race during this trying time. Before the Moon Landing, the Soviet Union had constantly bragged about how “their space successes were evidence of the social, economic, and even moral superiority of the communist system over the American capitalist system,”(“Space Race” 4). The US set out to prove to the world that they were superior to the Soviets and communism in various ways. The Moon Landing would be the event that would finally turn American luck around, where they were able to prove to the world they were superior to their adversaries. Although JFK wasn’t alive to see his dream come true the rest of America was and they rejoiced, while the Soviet Union suffered on the opposing side. The USSR was confident they would win the Space Race as they had all the “firsts''. They included the first man in space, the first woman in space, the first satellite in space, the first probe to land on the moon, and many more. The loss was devastating as all their progress became insignificant, and Soviet morale began plummeting. It is important to remember the Space Race was during the Cold War and although it did not win the US the war, it severely wounded the USSR’s reputation. After the Moon Landing, the Soviets claimed they were not trying to get to the moon at all after the moon landing. They claimed the US was in a “one-nation race” (Little 4). At this point, it became clear they had lost as they fully denied they were trying to get to the moon at all when there was clear evidence against this claim. The Moon Landing meant more to the American people than just an achievement, it meant they were socially, economically, and morally superior to the USSR. 

The Moon Landing was imperative for the US in gaining back their edge over the Soviet Union during the Cold War as it led to the development of new technological advancements which would substantially strengthen the US’s power. While the US had many failures and shortcomings during their moon landing mission, they were able to develop influential technology that would guide them through the Cold War and into the 21st century. In fact, “Many of the technologies developed for Project Apollo eventually found their way onto the consumer market: nonstick coatings, dehydrated foods, and miniaturized electronic components” (Schlager 4). These new pieces of technology would not only revolutionize space exploration for the future but would also benefit other aspects of the economy. These advancements can also be credited to the Soviet Union during the Space Race, because if it wasn’t for the intense competition, these advancements may have never been produced. The Space Race was beneficial for the world as it unlocked new possibilities in the realm of space exploration. The advancements were not only physical, “The most significant results of Apollo 11, in particular, were intangible rather than tangible--scientific and social rather than technological”(Schlager 4). The Moon Landing also produced intangible results, which is evident in future events involving space exploration. Many of the future space exploration missions were fueled by the developments and research gathered during the Apollo 11 missions, and this was crucial in America proving its economic power to the world. 

Experts have argued that the Moon Landing in 1969 was insignificant to the US’s cause during the Cold War because it didn’t shift global power. Founder of Space Policy Institute at George Washington University John Logsdon recognizes that the Moon Landing, “was a vivid demonstration of American power” but he also mentions how “so many other background factors had changed” making the Moon Landing obsolete to its original purpose(Logsdon 6). Logsdon argued the spectacle did not change the balance of global power, as the world shifted its focus towards foreign alliances nearing the end of the Space Race. At the beginning of the Space Race, it was clear that the intention of both powers was for world dominance, however towards the end of the 1960’s it became a battle of the influences of communism vs capitalism. He develops his argument further by explaining the importance for the US to reach the moon first because it could have caused other countries to align with the Soviets which would have been detrimental for America. This can be seen as a continuation of Domino Theory where communism in one country would spread to other adjacent countries creating a domino effect. When it was accomplished, The Moon Landing represented influence on foreign alliances, rather than global domination or power. This narrative can be used to argue that the Moon Landing was rather insignificant because it didn’t give the US any additional power. The Cold War would continue for almost 20 years after the monumental accomplishment which further displays how the Moon Landing didn’t have much influence on the outcome of the Cold War. 

The Moon Landing would prove to be crucial for the US during the Cold War as it gave them the edge over the Soviet Union by increasing national morale, and by developing many technological advancements which would prove influential for the country’s future. Arguments claiming the Moon Landing did not benefit the US in the Cold War are invalid because of how it affected both sides. The American people would win bragging rights greatly increasing morale and nationalism fueling the economy for the rest of the war, while on the other side the Soviet Union began fading until their eventual demise in December of 1991.