Discussion - Imagine it is July 20, 1969 and you are watching the moon landing live on national television with a close friend of yours. Your friend asks you two sincere questions:

Topic 1: Briefly explain the underlying causes of the Space Race between Russia and the United States. Why was it so important during the Kennedy era and beyond for the U.S. to win this race? What are two ways in which your own life has been directly affected because the U.S. won the Space Race?

Don't forget to reference the ideas in your response to the course materials or other resources that you consulted to answer this question.