The Cold War gave rise to political, social, and economic struggles that impacted the world's two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The war began in 1947 at the end of World War II and lasted until the fall of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991. During the 1950s, the United States and the Soviet Union began their battle in space to prove who had improved technology, military firepower and capabilities. also stronger social, political and economic systems. Due to political, social, and economic changes during the space race, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union began to drift apart. During the Cold War both the United States and the Soviet Union were so involved in the war that it created tensions within their relationship. This led the space programs of the Soviet Union and the United States to work even harder in their journey in the space race. The impact of the space race had a huge and extraordinary effect on the United States and the Soviet Union. JFK's White House records reveal that politics fueled America's race to the Moon against the Soviets, not science. Kennedy urges NASA Administrator James Webb to change his priorities because: “This is important for political reasons, international political reasons. This is, whether we like it or not, an intense race" (Supplementary Appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, demonstrated to the United States that the competition between itself and the Soviets would influence political opinions between the two countries and the world. After the first launch of Sputnik 1, the space race had begun, this caused US politicians to act quickly to catch up with the Russians.... middle of paper ...... elected president of the communist party Gorbachev's goals were to reinvigorate the long-lagging economy and accelerate economic development (Walter Even though the Soviet Union lost the space race to the States). United. United, they fought well by launching Sputnik 1 as the first satellite into orbit. There were many tensions due to the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Political, social and economic changes affected the relationship between the United States two countries. Many of the issues began when they began fighting in space to see who had the best technology, military firepower, and strongest social, political, and economic systems. From the American perspective of the space race, politics was the main point, compared to science, but for the Soviets, science was above all else. The space race was a giant step towards US victory in the Cold War.