Fifty Years of Space Race

A commentary by Don Hooser
United Church of God Pastor, Sedro-Woolley, WA

The world's space race began about fifty years ago! On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite—Sputnik I. On November 3 it put Sputnik II into orbit.

The science fiction of space travel became real science! Yet many people were alarmed by the surveillance and military potential of the space age—"spies in the skies" and military rockets that could deliver nuclear warheads.

Russia's sensational feat was an embarrassment to America's prestige. The U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. had engaged in an arms race since the end of World War II. With Sputnik I this "Cold War" expanded to a "space race."

Finally, on January 31, 1958 the first successful American satellite, Explorer I, was launched into orbit. After that, successful launches of satellites by both nations increased dramatically. On February 2 the word "aerospace" was coined from the words aircraft (aero) and spacecraft (space). On July 29, 1958 the U.S. Congress created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which started operation on October 1.

Next America's president John F. Kennedy urged Congress to support the goal of landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade. That initiated the Apollo program with the goal of conducting manned moon-landing missions. Sadly, JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Soon afterward the NASA launch facility at Cape Canaveral, Florida, was renamed Kennedy Space Center.

The next president, Lyndon Johnson, also championed the space program. Because of his support the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, which opened in 1961, was renamed the "Johnson Space Center" in 1973.

Kennedy's timetable was reached. On July 20, 1969, two astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission walked on the Moon while over 500 million fascinated viewers around the world watched it live on television! Five subsequent Apollo missions also landed astronauts on the moon! Since then many unmanned space missions have explored the planets of our solar system and even beyond!

The two-nation "space race" came to a symbolic end in 1975 with a joint Soviet-American space mission. Now we have a multinational space race with about 59 nations owning at least a share of a satellite in space. Powerful competitors now include the European Space Agency (ESA), China, Japan and India.

Today more than 850 working satellites are circling the earth—including weather, navigational, environmental, communication, commercial and spy satellites! People worldwide now benefit from satellite technology.

The space race has brought great advancements in scientific understanding. The world enjoys innumerable inventions as spin-offs of space age technology, but the costs have been incredibly high. Military and space expenditures of the Soviet Union contributed to its collapse in 1989. Today America's economy also is weakening, due partly to its own extravagant spending.

Nations that rely heavily on satellites are the most prosperous and powerful—but they also have the most to lose. Satellites can be shot down! That was proven on January 11, 2007 when China destroyed one of its own satellites with an anti-satellite missile, illustrating their vulnerability!

America spends lavishly on space ventures but only a tiny percent on technology and strategies for protecting its satellites. Yet the cost of replacing even one lost photo-reconnaissance satellite is about $1 billion.

If America lost its satellites, the crippling effects on its infrastructure, communications and economy would be a nightmare. Some aspects of its military capabilities probably would fall back to World War II levels.

For over a century America has enjoyed a level of prosperity and scientific advancement unparalleled in the history of humankind. Biblical prophecy indicates this occurred not by accident but by design. A major reason for America's rise to power and prosperity has been because of the blessings it has received from God—blessing promised originally to the descendants of Abraham's great grandson Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:1, 13-17).

Continued enjoyment of those blessings, however, would depend on their respect for the God that blessed them. Sadly, the current trend in the United States today is toward diminished trust in and less respect for the God that gives those blessings.

What effect will this trend have on the future of America—and the world? Probably more than you could ever dream! The Bible indicates that loss of the stabilizing influence that the United States now exerts in world affairs will lead to catastrophic times like humankind has never before experienced.

For that reason let me offer you a clear explanation of how the Bible predicted the rise to greatness of the American and British peoples and the terrible times of trouble that will follow their decline from world dominance. Simply request or download your copy of our free publication: The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy.