What major events shaped the US space program?

Answer 1

World War 2 started it with the German V1 and V2 rocket program. After that it was the start of the Cold War, but the real trigger was the launch of Sputnik 1 by the USSR in 1957. The US feared Soviet domination of space and the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the rockets and space. The Soviets beat the US to launch a living being (Laika the dog) and then a human being into space.

Determined not to left behind, the US launched a massive catchup program and then President John. F. Kennedy made a speech setting the goal of putting a man on the moon by the end of the 60s decade.

In the 70s and 80s, the American Military used the shuttle program to put GPS satellites and other in orbit. A key element of this was to give huge accuracy to its ballistic missiles.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, cooperation with the Russians and other countries increasingly shaped the program.

Answer 2

Major events that have shaped the US space program include the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, which ignited the space race; the Apollo moon landing in 1969, which demonstrated American space capabilities; the Space Shuttle program, which operated from 1981 to 2011; and the recent emergence of private space companies like SpaceX, which has accelerated innovation in space technology.