By Halle Grey
Many may be familiar with the term space race as it was the period of time during the Cold War where the United States and the Soviet Union were competing over who could get to space first.
As someone who has always been fascinated by space, it was interesting to me to notice all the new developments regarding space and what could possibly be out there. There have been extreme progressions in the technology applicable to space and the theorem of space. Just under five years ago, the United States created the Space Force which is a dedicated military branch underneath the Air Force. I remember when this was inducted and being in awe of having such a thing. The creation of SpaceX seems to have a large impact on how big space exploration is within the United States.
Though it’s not just the United States that have been creating, engineering, and designing space technology. China and Russia are also spearheading technological innovations, but India, Japan, and plenty of other countries have also made significant progress in their own fields.
I think it’s safe to say that we are in a space competition, but I don’t know if I would call it a space race. Unlike the original space race in the 50s where everyone was trying to get off of Earth, now our space exploration is just that, exploration. There is excitement and urgency of course, but there is less frantic bitterness and fear this time around. It’s exciting to see all the discoveries we have made in the last decade(s). The discovery of possibly habitable planets and habitable environments on moons just makes the urge for exploration stronger.
This being said, there is always going to be tensions between countries when dealing with power. There is danger and caution flying around when there is a possibility of a singular country pulling ahead of the others. While it’s not hostile now, there is always a chance of history repeating itself.
