American Ambition On Full Display
Despite some accusations that it was motivated by revenge against the Soviets, it was a remarkable example of American ambition. This goal of bettering the US space program must be understood in a historical context. The United States and the Soviet Union’s Cold War spilled over onto the battlefield. During the Korean War, Aldrin was a fighter pilot! There was also the Space Race to contend with.
The Soviets Were Leading The Way
The USSR had already overtaken the US in space research by the time the US declared its goal of reaching the moon. Sputnik, the world’s first orbiting satellite, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. It also sent Yuri Gagarin into orbit for the first time in 1961, making him the first man to do so. The United States set out to land on the moon to catch up with the rest of the globe.