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The article is dedicated to the United States' achievements in space rivalry, its economic, geopolitical, scientific and technological aspects. Given the fact that the U.S. are faced with a difficult period in their history, they will try to restore the positive image of American democracy not only through traditional political methods, but also via scientific and technological leadership, including in the field of outer space exploration. The author focuses on NASA's modern space programs, among which are initiatives that deal with landing on asteroids, exploring deep space, the Moon and Mars as well as attempts to commercialize outer space through space tourism. The author also compares the space program budgets of the U.S., Russia, China and some European countries. The article presents all these aspects in the current context, with paying attention to the STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). The goal is to understand why America still leads in space exploration and sets the bar. In conclusion, the author argues that Washington will keep prioritizing space industry and involve private companies in this field through allocating additional funding and granting tenders to those who are most competitive. In addition, achievements in the U.S. space program is a matter of international prestige and American leadership, given the fact that the image of the country has suffered a lot, especially amidst Trump's bygone, yet controversial presidency. A successful implementation of Washington's ambitions in outer space will strengthen both its leadership and its ties with Europe, which is strategically important for America in the times of political confrontation with Russia and China. In the article, the author primarily relies on descriptive and narrative scientific approaches, comparative and historical methods as well as systematic approach by analyzing NASA documents and publications, speeches of the U.S. presidents and specialized media outlets. The novelty of the article adds up to the fundamental analysis of the American space program through the lens of history and current times while focusing on its political, economic and technological aspects. Acknowledgements. The article was prepared within the project "Post-crisis world order: challenges and technologies, competition and cooperation" supported by the grant from Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation program for research projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development (Agreement № 075-15-2020-783).

The COVID-19 pandemic became the main catalyst of the so-called infodemic in the sphere of public information and communications. The article is an attempt to systematize and conceptualize informational and political aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. First, the author explains how the Trump administration responded to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States both domestically and internationally and how it presented its anti-coronavirus policy to the public. Second, the article analyzes the role of journalists, experts and politicians in instigating or curbing the COVID-19-driven ― infodemic‖ in the United States as coronavirus paved the way for global spread.