The Cold War EraWorks Cited MissingFrom the late 1940s to the mid-1980s, American society witnessed what could very well be described as the most great technological effect on society. This era, the Cold War, was a period in which fear of attack or invasion and the need to be superior reigned in American society. This led to the development of space technology, during the space race, communications systems and military technology in what was aptly called the arms race. On October 4, 1957 [1], a huge change regarding technology in society occurred. On this date, the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) launched Sputnik into space. The launch of Sputnik sparked fear in American society and an urgent call to increase technological capabilities to protect the country from Soviet attacks and also to prove the superiority of the United States. Official U.S. involvement in what is commonly referred to as the "Space Race" began in 1958 after the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. Upon its inception, NASA immediately began working on the idea of ​​human spaceflight. The first large-scale program was called Project Mercury. In this program, NASA's main goal was to determine whether human beings were capable of surviving in space. Projects that followed included Project Gemini and Project Apollo [2] and, slowly, America rose to the forefront of the space race. Preliminary sketches and drawings of Project Mercury can be seen on the right. Although not a new technological advancement, the idea of ​​being able to send humans into space was a novel idea that required an incredible amount of advancement in technological areas not yet understood by the man....... middle of paper... ...The In-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was signed by the United States and the USSR on December 8, 1987 and ratified by the US Senate on May 27, 1988. This is considered the end of the Cold War because the mass elimination of weapons developed during the era began, including the elimination of PERSHING. The last PERSHING missiles were destroyed in May 1991. [8] The Cold War era was a time when fear of technology and the imminent need for developments became the focus of society. This era embodies the power that technology has over American society and, in turn, the world. More than twenty years have been spent developing technologies to protect the nation from the technologies of others. The impact of technology during this time, although not in every household as much as it is today, was far-reaching..