Answer:
Competition with the Soviet Union spurred American space missions
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cold War was a period in which the USA and the USSR did everything in their power in order to be the best and strongest in every possible aspect. Apart from the weaponry, military, politics, economy, zones of influence, the space was also a field for competition between the two. The Soviets managed to get into space first, having the first man that made a full circle around the Earth. This skyrocketed the reputation of the USSR, so the USA invested a lot in the coming years in order to surpass that, managing to send the first people on the Moon.