Aviation saw many major developments during the Second World War, but none were so important as centimetric radar, jet engines, and the atomic bomb. In the civilian world, the first two would give rise to easier navigation, and greater range and speed. Passengers and cargo could be delivered faster and safer, and later much more efficiently as Turbojets were replaced by Turbofan engines. Civil air travel was building a more interconnected world than ever before, and places that were once a week’s travel were now mere hours away. By the late 60’s flyers enjoyed speed, safety, and comfort to destinations the world over. 

The Cold War’s military developments were much more extreme. New technology, and a desire for technical superiority would fuel an arms race the likes of which had never been seen. Post war jet fighters pushed transonic speeds before being succeeded by models which could comfortably handle flying beyond the speed of sound. Ever more sophisticated weapons were employed, with heat seeking missiles being introduced shortly after the Korean War, to be followed by ever more effective models and joined with long range, radar guided types. World War II’s crude radio guided bombs gave way to radar and laser guided models, and nearing the new millennium, there were those directed by GPS. Aerial Warfare grew faster, more precise, and much more deadly.

All of these developments happened under the threat of nuclear war, which loomed more ominously as the years went by. The desire for nuclear supremacy fueled the construction of fleets of bombers, and soon enough, missiles to carry warheads anywhere on Earth. These nuclear anxieties would drive technological development and massive space programs in the USSR and United States. Initially to demonstrate superior missile capabilities, it grew into something far more important as the scientific and economic importance of space exploration became evident. With the end of the Space Race following the Apollo-Soyuz mission, the world benefited from satellite mapping, communication, rapid forecasting, and all manner of scientific research.