The Space Race and its Impact on the Cold War

National History Day
2023 Guides - Theme: Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas
Competing cartoon rockets, one US and one USSR.

Getting Started

Begin your research by brainstorming keywords - the words and phrases you’ll use to search for books, articles, websites, government documents, and other resources. These may include names of people and places or historical concepts like eras and movements. A librarian can suggest “subject headings” to find the most relevant resources.

Example Keywords & Catalog Subject Headings

Space Race
Cold War
United States
USSR
Sputnik
Apollo 8
Project Apollo (U.S.)
Space race -- History.
Sputnik satellites -- History.
Space race -- United States -- History.
Artificial satellites -- Soviet Union -- History.

Books/Print Resources at DPL

In the shadow of the moon : America, Russia, and the hidden history of the spac…
Sputnik and the space race
A ball, a dog, and a monkey : 1957, the space race begins
"We choose to go to the moon" : an analysis of a Cold War means-developing stra…
Mercury rising : John Glenn, John Kennedy, and the new battleground of the Cold…

Database/Online Resources

Library databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. If you don’t have a library card, register online for immediate access to these resources. The following recommended databases are available on our Research and Teen Social Studies pages.

Academic OneFile (Gale)

Articles from over 17,000 scholarly journals and other authoritative sources—including thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN as well as videos from BBC Worldwide Learning. Covers subject areas such as, biology, chemistry, criminal justice, economics, environmental science, history, marketing, political science, and psychology.

Available with library card

Visit Academic OneFile (Gale)
Sample Articles
1957 Sputnik launches the space race: at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union sent the first satellite into space. A stunned America reacted by jump-starting its space program, leading to the historic moon landing 12 years later
Men on the moon: a view from Moscow: in July 1969, the United States was poised to make history in space. But the Soviet Union had one last Cold War trick up its sleeve
Sample Articles
The Soviet Union is first to the Moon
How the space race unfolded

Explora High School (Ebsco)

Look up topic overviews, magazine and academic journal articles, facts and primary sources for research papers, class projects or homework. Get information from trustworthy sources that you can cite in your papers. Designed with students and educators in mind.

Available with library card

Visit Explora High School (Ebsco)
Sample Articles
THE SPACE RACE BEGINS
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Sample Articles
HOW WORLD REACTED TO SPUTNIKS: WESTERN VIEW
U.S. Acts: To Answer Sputniks
U.S. MISSILE EXPERTS SHAKEN BY SPUTNIK: Weight of Satellite Called Evidence of Soviet Superiority in Rocketry Forced Reappraisal Sobering Warning Removing Bottlenecks Test Firing Military Meaning
Soviet Scientist Hails Apollo 'Courage' and Skill

Prospector: Materials from Other Colorado and Wyoming Libraries

​​As a Denver Public Library customer, you can also borrow materials from other libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. Use Prospector to request materials that DPL does not own.

The space race : how the Cold War put humans on the moon
Space race : the epic battle between America and the Soviet Union for dominion …
The Soviet Space Race With Apollo
The superpower space race : an explosive rivalry through the solar system

Internet Sources

Before using information you find on the internet for assignments and research, it is important to establish that the information comes from a reliable and appropriate source. The following websites, from government, academic and nonprofit organizations, have been evaluated for authority, accuracy, content and currency.

Challenge to Apollo : the Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945-1974
Government document published by NASA History Division.
The Space Race
Sputnik and the Space Race
A list of official documents from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.
Sputnik and the Dawn of the Space Age
From NASA. A collection of resources in various formats.
Sputnik and the Space Race: 1957 and Beyond
Digitized primary resources from the Library of Congress.
The Soviet Lunar Program & the Space Race
A Bold Step: Apollo 8 Sends First Human Flight Beyond Earth

Contact the Reference Services department for help with your research project