1. Causes-
 One Cause of the Space Race was the Cold War
between the United States and the Soviet Union, the
most powerful countries after WWII.
 Both these countries were competing to be the
number one world leader, so space was a critical area
for battle.
Origin-
The Space Race started when Russia sent Sputnik and the
first man into space. The U.S. got the people thinking, “If
Russia can send satellites into space, then they can send
nuclear weapons from space to the U.S. and destroy the
U.S."
It also showed that Russia had better educated students to
take Russia into space, and the U.S. was falling behind in
education.
John Kennedy
 John F. Kennedy was the President of the United
States at the time of the Space Race and was very
involved with it.
 "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 the Earth. No single space project...will be more
exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more
important...and none will be so difficult or expensive
to accomplish.”
President John F. Kennedy, 1961
 “We have a long way to go in the space race. We
started late. But this is the new ocean, and I believe

2. the United States must sail on it and be in a position
second to none.”
President John F. Kennedy, 1962