The space race began in 1957, when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in the Cold War. The USSR launched the world's first satellite (Sputnik) before the United States. The United States realized that it was behind the Soviet Union and embarked on a program with the aim of claiming superiority over space and thus began the space race. The United States successfully launched “Explorer 1” in 1958 and successfully completed the first manned mission to the Moon in 1969, winning the space race along with great advances in rocket technology for space exploration by both United States and USSR, as the discovery of the safest ways for humans to travel interplanetary. Thus, over the years of research, scientists quickly discovered the main problems that affect the success rate of interplanetary travel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Gravity is a pain. It brings you back to Earth as soon as you jump! That's why Rocket Scientist needs rockets to be able to shoot up and out at speeds greater than 25,000 mph if you want to free the rocket from the Earth's surface. Solving this problem costs about $2,000,000 just to launch the “Mars Curiosity Rover,” and this was already 1/10 of the expensive mission budget, including specific food and drinks to sustain life in the rocket. Scientists have found that composite materials such as fibrous sheets and exotic metal alloys can reduce weight, and they have also discovered better, more powerful fuel blends to get astronauts into space faster. Gravity is one of the biggest issues, but what about landing? Over years of research, rocket scientists also developed a landing method. First, the astronaut needs friction to slow his approach, then circle the planet and fly through as much of the upper atmosphere as possible. Second, astronauts must apply the plane's brakes as they approach the surface. Next, they use their hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator. The Kevlar cone will create greater atmospheric drag during landing. They must turn the rocket to point the rocket engines in the direction they are flying to avoid crashing at speeds above 200,000 miles per hour. Lettuce was a hero last August when astronauts planted it in space in zero gravity. The problem is that in zero gravity, water floats as bubbles instead of dripping into the ground. The solution devised by the engineers was to use ceramic tubes to bring the necessary water to the roots of the plants. Now, scientists are working on a genetically modified plum tree that is only 0.6 meters tall and are also working on ways to plant potatoes and peanuts. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The space race had causes and effects on competitors. First it showed the world which country had the best scientific, technological and economic system. After World War II, both the United States and the USSR realized the importance of missile research.