Answer:
War and violence. While epidemic disease was by far the leading cause of the population decline of the American indigenous peoples after 1492, there were other contributing factors, all of them related to European contact and colonization. One of these factors was warfare.
The response of the U.S. government to the September 11 attacks sparked investigations into the motivations and execution of the attacks, as well as the ongoing War on Terrorism in Afghanistan The response included funds for affected families, plans for the War on Terrorism, rebuilding of Lower-East Manhattan, and the invasion and investigation of Iraq and Afghanistan.
I think that the 'by-products' of the Space Race are what really benefit us. The Race itself is pretty irrevelant. It forced both nations to push their technology to its limits and as a result of the huge government expenditures, we now have better technology to use in everyday life. Things like LCD screens, computers and energy saving and water filtration technology are all aspects of space research which is relevant to us.
They didn't, they used gas which was against international law.