Answer:
The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union had a major impact on US advancement in the 1950s. The US responded to the perceived threat of communist expansion with a massive military build-up and the development of new weapons technologies. This included the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the construction of nuclear power plants, and the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Soviet Union's success in launching the first satellite, Sputnik, in 1957, spurred the United States to invest heavily in science and technology, which led to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the space race with the Soviets. The Cold War also led to a period of intense political paranoia in the US, known as the Red Scare, which saw the government target any perceived communist sympathizers or activists.