The decade of 1950 was a time of relief and a return to normalcy. The United States was still recovering from World War II, and still recuperating from the Great Depression. However, this time of prosperity was quickly cut short as tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union also were growing. This economic, geopolitical, and ideological struggle eventually escalated into what was known as the Cold War. One major “battle” between these two Superpowers was the “Space Race.” This informal race to show technological superiority and advancement into space would be the start of a long-lasting quest to space that continues to this day, and would prove to be an extension of the concept of Manifest Destiny. The quest to improve space technology between the United States and the Soviet Union would be the start of a Space Age that would revolutionize the world. Over time, international organizations and projects, such as International Space Station (ISS), would be created, and disasters such as the Challenger and Columbia mission incidents would occur. These, are just a few possible reasons for why there was, and still is such a drive, interest, and fascination with Outer Space.

            The Cold War between the World’s two Superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, would be one of the biggest events in the history of both countries, lasting over five centuries, from 1945 until the disintegration of  Soviet Union (into fifteen separate countries) in 1991 (“Cold” 1). Although it is referred to as a war, it in fact was a cold war. There were no military forces used, and there was no direct lose of life due to armed fighting (“What” 2). Out of the Cold War, several diverse conflicts between the world’s Superpowers to show superiority over the other would take place. One of the most renowned conflicts was the informal competition to see which country was more technologically advanced in terms of space exploration. This competition for “international prestige” would become known as Space Race (“Americans” 626).

            The Space Race unofficially began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviets launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik I (626). Its launch into orbit around the globe was a triumph for the Soviets. In response, Americans were shocked; they swiftly poured money into an American Space Program. Multiple attempts by United States scientists ended disastrously and humiliatingly. However, almost four months after the Soviet Union, the United States launched their first satellite, Explorer I, on January 31, 1958 (626). This would prompt the Soviet to continue financing their space program in hopes of once again outdoing the United States, and vice versa; it was “Keeping up with the Joneses” on a much larger scale.

            By the end of 1957, the Soviets had proved that a living creature could survive being sent into space and endure weightlessness. This was concluded after the first living creature from Earth, a Soviet dog named Laika, survived being launched into space (“Laika” 1). Although Laika would survive the launch, she would die of stress and overheating five to seven hours into the flight (2). On April 12, 1961, the Soviets succeeded once again by sending the first human, Yuri A. Gagarin, into orbit (“Space Race” 2). The United States followed in February of the next year by sending Alan B. Shepherd, Jr. into space (2). President John F. Kennedy also called for the United States to land man on the moon by the end of the decade of 1960 (2). Subsequently, programs such as Gemini and Apollo in the United States and Voskhod in the Soviet Union experimented with lunar exploration (2). Hence, the fight for dominance in space exploration continued to expand.

            As the quest to outdo the opposing country continued, the Space Race proved to be an extension of the term, Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is the idea that people possess a God-given right to expand (“Manifest” 1). Although the term itself first was used in the 1840’s to describe the right that Americans had to expand westward, the concept dates back to the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War. At that time, Americans believed that French Canadians should join the thirteen colonies in an attempt to throw off the British (however, none of the measures taken by the Americans succeeded in bringing Canada on the side of the thirteen colonies). The term was later applied to the United State’s attempts at expanding into Canada, Mexico, and islands located in the Pacific Ocean (“Manifest” 1). The Space Race could also be considered an application of Manifest Destiny. Both the Soviet Union and the United States felt they had the right to explore the unknowns of space, and as they’re technology became more advanced, they did. (“Our” 2-3). Even though both countries had such a desire to conquer space, there was not a clear reason for why there was such an aspiration to explore beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

            Since the start of the Space Race, billions of dollars have been spent on technology needed to further explore space (“Curious” 1). In 2004 alone, over thirty four million dollars were spent on items relating to space exploration (2). That staggering amount alone questions why there is such a need for further exploration. What do people get out of it? There are a plethora of explanations why there is such a “need” to discover space, but according to Charles D. Walker, a former United States astronaut and President of the National Space Society, there are three main reasons.

“But just what makes up that need to explore space? To me, there’s not just one, but three categorical needs; each one holding sway over us to different degrees. There are the psychological, the material, and survival (“Why We” 1).”

            These three reasons are the basis of what drives countries to spend time, money, resources, and effort on exploring and understanding space. However, there are other motives as well. Since the beginning of the Space Race in the 1950’s, several projects have enabled countries to work together in cooperation; the most notable and recognizable is the International Space Station. Over the course of four decades, more than sixteen nations have contributed to the International Space Station (“International” 1). These nations include the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil and eleven other nations that are part of the European Space Agency (1). This indirect affect is another contributor to why so much time, money, and dedication is put into advancements in space technology.

            Even though the Space Race proved to be beneficial, there also were several drawbacks that exemplified some of the mistakes made by both the Soviets and Americans. A majority of these incidents occurred in the carelessness created by both sides in attempts to continue outdoing the opposing Superpower. On January 27, 1967, the three-person crew aboard Apollo 1 was killed when a spark ignited a fire in the cockpit (“Space Disasters” 1). That year, the Soviets also lost their first “cosmonaut” (the equivalent to an American “astronaut”) aboard Soyuz 1 on April 23^rd (1). Several years later, after losing the race to the moon, the Soviets had another shortcoming when the three men aboard Soyuz 11 were killed upon reentry on July 20, 1967 (1). Tragedy hit the United States again in 1986, when the Challenger exploded seventy-three seconds after take off, killing the seven astronauts on board, including Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space (1). The true cause of the Challenger disaster would illustrate the careless mistakes made by scientists; they knew it was too cold to launch, but insisted on launching anyway (1). A more recent mistake (made by the Americans) involved the reentry of the Columbia space craft in 2003. Although it was known that there might have been minor damage done to the outer casing of one wing, Columbia continued its planned schedule, and disintegrated upon reentry, killing the seven astronauts aboard (1). These multiple mistakes all ended disastrously, and were all linked to the carelessness involved in attempt to compete with the rival Superpower.

            However, even through the tragedies both countries faced, they continued to prevail individually in space travel, and continued to illustrate Manifest Destiny. Throughout time, Manifest Destiny has come to mean a variety of things. It has always been the same concept, but at different times in history, has been matched with different ideas. In the past, it was related to expansion of larger countries into other, smaller countries or areas of land. In the present, it can be used in relation to expansion, space exploration, and even in warfare. The main question, though, is what Manifest Destiny will mean in the future. Although the Earth is limited with only a few things, one of those “things” is livable land. As people around the world continue to expand into the continuously-decreasing amounts of free land, there will eventually (in the future, near or far) be a breaking point; where there is no place to go. Now, the original term of Manifest Destiny will take on yet another “definition” for that generation. The most plausible solution for this upcoming “epidemic” is simple; the oceans. Approximately seventy-five percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. Oceans would provide an almost unrealistic amount of space, but the methods of converting water into a livable area would be complicated task. However, there is still another option: outer space. What started as a simple competition between two nations for bragging rights, escalated into a multi-decade battle for supremacy in space technology, and could be the possible solution for survival.

Besides the limited amount of land, there is also another concept that could be related with Manifest Destiny; the expansion of the human race into space…for survival. According to Charles Walker, out of his three initial reasons for why we explore space, he says survival is the key motive. 

“I see the reason as survival. Political and economic survival in technological competition within the global economy, sure, But more then that. All human creation, all life as we know it, is here on Earth. All our eggs are in one basket. Our embryonic resources are diminishing, our nest is becoming fouled and—that basket is a target. (“Why We” 1)”

            In the end, the Cold War, more specifically the Space Race of the decade of 1950, would be an extension of the term Manifest Destiny. It would relate to the then-current definition of the term in the past, and could even be the Manifest Destiny of the future.