Impacts of New Technologies
The United States Space Program
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| Apollo 15 Pilot James Irwin on the moon, August 1, 1971 |
In 1958, the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into orbit. Thus began the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviets had another first when they put an astronaut into space in April of 1961. On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space when his rocket, named Freedom 7, successfully made a fifteen minute space flight.
On May 25, 1961, while speaking to a joint session of Congress, President John F. Kennedy said, "First, I believe 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." A little less than a year later, the first American to orbit the earth was John Glenn. On February 20, 1962, Glenn went around the earth three times in a capsule named Friendship 7.
On September 12, 1962, Kennedy again made a speech about space at Rice University. He exclaimed, "We choose to go to the moon! We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
The President's inspiring words and the additional funding for NASA helped the United States overtake the Soviet Union's lead in the space race. In July of 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first person from Earth to step onto the moon's surface. As he took that first step, he said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The United States would send five more successful missions to the moon. The average cost of each mission was about eighteen billion dollars.
Americans have seen great improvements in technology since Kennedy first established his New Frontier, prompted by the Cold War. In this interactivity, you will discover how the U.S. developed its space program since the 1960s, through the use of space shuttles, rovers, robotic probes, and space telescopes. Click the player button to begin.
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The space race started as a venture focused on fear and competition. However, once the Cold War ended, space exploration harbored a different, more positive purpose. Take a moment to view the video, Why Do We Go to Space? It's Okay to be Smart from eMediaVASM to discover how this program evolved into something Americans now think about with pride.
Technological Advancements
In the second half of the 20th century and the early part of this century, three technological fields have seen tremendous change and growth. The profound changes in the areas of communication, robotics, and medicine have significantly impacted American society. In this interactivity, you will explore these technological advancements. Click the player button to begin.
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Impacts of New Technologies Review
Now that you have learned about the impacts of new technologies, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Click the player button to get started.