Would there be a NASA without the Cold War?

[mrsticky005]

The Cold War began some time in the 40s. Nasa began in 1958. America and Russia were on a race to go into space. Exploring the final frontier is all
well and good but aside from that space would be a major boost in the advancement of weaponry. Just think of artificial Satellites for one. A major
upgrade in the field of intelligence. Whoever controlled space would hold
all the cards. The cold war is over now but NASA still exists. Relations have
improved between Russia and the US (at the very least they improved on the surface.) Now instead of working against each other to conquer space,
the International Space Station is one sign of America and Russia working
together to reap the benefits of space. But if it weren't for the intense rivarly of the two nations. Would space be yet unexplored?

[Wooster]

No it wouldn't have at least not manned missions.

[mrsticky005]

No it wouldn't have at least not manned missions.


Yeah, I figured they wouldn't have risked people's lives unless it meant advancements in weaponry or warfare in general.

[Wooster]

Maybe, or for moon cheese!

[PlatonicZombie]

Technically our space program was the German space program. We just painted USA on their rockets. :lol: But I agree, the betterment of society is never the reason for anything. It's the betterment for the stranglehold of the elite that makes this country do anything.

[Ur Mom]

This question in general is like asking would America be where it is today without the cold war, economically, technologically, etc, and the answer is simply no. Without the heat of the cold war, I bet Europe would still hold the most power in the world, but then something in America changed, it became dominant force only because of that prolonged force of competition. Quite frankly, I have occasionally thought that there should be more wars like the Cold War.

Back to the question, no, but space exploration may have still been done by now

[Kreegah!!!]

Maybe, or for moon cheese!

I think I speak for everyone when I say the chief argument in favor of the moon landings being a hoax is that they tried to pass off it's cheesy rind as a dusty rock. The Moon's cheese, now build us a Wallace&Gromit RockyShip so we can EAT.:!:

[mrsticky005]

This question in general is like asking would America be where it is today without the cold war, economically, technologically, etc, and the answer is simply no. Without the heat of the cold war, I bet Europe would still hold the most power in the world, but then something in America changed, it became dominant force only because of that prolonged force of competition. Quite frankly, I have occasionally thought that there should be more wars like the Cold War.

Back to the question, no, but space exploration may have still been done by now


Not necessarily. Germany was the big European power until it was beat by the U.S and Russia which were the superpowers then. Even without the
cold war the U.S would still be more powerful than Europe. It was really
just Soviet Russia that the U.S had to worry about. Also even though
the cold war may have been incentive to improve as a nation it was likely
enough with needing to recover from the 2nd world war to encourage
advancement. The Cold War could also be seen as an impediment in that
it was an arms race and more money was being spent on military matters
rather than else where.

[Bacon]

Not necessarily. Germany was the big European power until it was beat by the U.S and Russia which were the superpowers then. Even without the
cold war the U.S would still be more powerful than Europe. It was really
just Soviet Russia that the U.S had to worry about. Also even though
the cold war may have been incentive to improve as a nation it was likely
enough with needing to recover from the 2nd world war to encourage
advancement. The Cold War could also be seen as an impediment in that
it was an arms race and more money was being spent on military matters
rather than else where.

I've read and watched things pertaining to the immediate aftermath of World war 2 and the narrators/authors clearly state how the winners reaped the awards of the German research. They also would have utilized the fleeing scientists too. ;)

[Jutsu Junkie]

The father of the American space program was actually a former Nazi named Wernher von Braun, often cited as the greatest rocket scientist of the 20th century. He invented the V-2, which terrorized England during the Second World War, and was the first device to leave and reenter the atmosphere. Now, this is all pre-Cold War stuff, but two things need to be understood:

1. The space race was a weapons race. The entire reason we kick-started NASA was because we were afraid that the Soviets were gaining the ability to hit us without bombers, which in fact was the case. Admittedly, their first ICBM (the R-2 Sapwood) was a kind of Spruce Goose of spaceflight; it worked, but it was vulnerable and logistically expensive. Anyway, Germans (really German-Americans by the time NASA came around) did help us a great deal to catch up with the Russians (who were also employing Germans for the same purpose), but once we achieved a certain level of competency, obviously we took it from there.

2. While the Cold War did provide the chief impetus for NASA, it should be understood that it had a forebearer, NACA, which had already established a rich history of innovation. No doubt, even without the Cold War, NACA would have eventually contributed to spaceflight, manned or otherwise. Frankly, manned spaceflight has proven to be pointless in the short term, apart from its inspirational qualities, and I think with the advent of computers we would have eventually gotten to where we are anyway. We do need to learn how to get away from this planet ultimately, but the benefits won't be reaped for some millennia I think -- assuming we last that long.

[mrsticky005]

The father of the American space program was actually a former Nazi named Wernher von Braun, often cited as the greatest rocket scientist of the 20th century. He invented the V-2, which terrorized England during the Second World War, and was the first device to leave and reenter the atmosphere. Now, this is all pre-Cold War stuff, but two things need to be understood:

1. The space race was a weapons race. The entire reason we kick-started NASA was because we were afraid that the Soviets were gaining the ability to hit us without bombers, which in fact was the case. Admittedly, their first ICBM (the R-2 Sapwood) was a kind of Spruce Goose of spaceflight; it worked, but it was vulnerable and logistically expensive. Anyway, Germans (really German-Americans by the time NASA came around) did help us a great deal to catch up with the Russians (who were also employing Germans for the same purpose), but once we achieved a certain level of competency, obviously we took it from there.

2. While the Cold War did provide the chief impetus for NASA, it should be understood that it had a forebearer, NACA, which had already established a rich history of innovation. No doubt, even without the Cold War, NACA would have eventually contributed to spaceflight, manned or otherwise. Frankly, manned spaceflight has proven to be pointless in the short term, apart from its inspirational qualities, and I think with the advent of computers we would have eventually gotten to where we are anyway. We do need to learn how to get away from this planet ultimately, but the benefits won't be reaped for some millennia I think -- assuming we last that long.


Yeah I remember Wernhner Von Braun from October Sky (the book).

1. That's what I was thinking

2. NACA? Never heard I suppose it's some kind of aviation thing.

[Noctis Arashi]

I believe it would have still been created in someway, just likely far delayed in the future for lacking a purpose to do so.

[naruto_jock]

Personally? I think if it weren't for the Cold War we wouldn't have accomplished as much as we have in space. For all we know, if the Cold War never happened we might have sent a man to the moon this year for the first time.

[mrsticky005]

Of course there's always the butterfly effect and one could say that by not having a Cold War the earth would have imploded on itself.

[Kreegah!!!]

I hate going on a tangent, but I just felt compelled to say I like Sticky's debate threads best. It's always a congenial atmosphere. I feel bad about discussing the topic only instead of actually debating points, but aside from that... His are the best, and that's all that needs to be said.:)

[Jutsu Junkie]

Yeah I remember Wernhner Von Braun from October Sky (the book).

1. That's what I was thinking

2. NACA? Never heard I suppose it's some kind of aviation thing.

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. They produced many aviation breakthroughs, most of which are still in use today. One notable contribution are many of the airfoils still used on commercial planes. They contributed to facets of supersonic flight as well. Their funding, authority, and bureaucracy was folded into NASA in '58.

I believe it would have still been created in someway, just likely far delayed in the future for lacking a purpose to do so.

Yeah, but eventually somebody would have shot something into orbit, and that would have freaked us out anyway, though perhaps not as strongly. Only the British or French doing so wouldn't have sparked an arms race. Any other nation capable of doing so would have cause either suspicion or alarm, because they were all either ideologically opposed to us or had a mixed history with us, even if some of them did ally with us in WWII.

Personally? I think if it weren't for the Cold War we wouldn't have accomplished as much as we have in space. For all we know, if the Cold War never happened we might have sent a man to the moon this year for the first time.

That would have been awesome, since I'd at least be around to see it happen and remember it, instead of not even a twinkle in my folks eyes.

Of course there's always the butterfly effect and one could say that by not having a Cold War the earth would have imploded on itself.

Points for dry witt... :)

I hate going on a tangent, but I just felt compelled to say I like Sticky's debate threads best. It's always a congenial atmosphere. I feel bad about discussing the topic only instead of actually debating points, but aside from that... His are the best, and that's all that needs to be said.:)

They are nice, aren't they?