The Evolution of Space as a Contested Domain

rocket taking off
Photo Credit: Reuters/Stringer
The launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957 ignited a frenetic competition for superiority in space. Both the United States and Soviet Union made rapid technological advances in rockets, satellites, and human spaceflight, and because of these advances, the United States and Soviet Union quickly became the dominant powers in space. From 1957 through 1990, the United States and Soviet Union were responsible for 93 percent of all satellites launched into space. Moreover, the U.S. and Soviet space programs were directly linked to military power, and about 70 percent of satellites launched from 1957 to 1990 were military satellites.

Space also became a contested domain from the outset. Both the United States and the Soviet Union…

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