The Space Race
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to achieve superior spaceflight capability. Starting in 1955, the two superpowers competed for major achievements: the Soviets launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957, and sent Yuri Gagarin, the first human, into space on April 12, 1961. These achievements motivated US President John F. Kennedy to challenge Congress to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. The Space Race mattered because spaceflight demonstrated national superiority and security capability. It spurred rapid innovation in rockets and spacecraft, reaching its peak with Apollo 11's Moon landing in July 1969. By the 1970s, the competition gradually shifted toward cooperation between the two powers.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org: “was a 20th-century competition between the Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability.”
- en.wikipedia.org: “The technological advantage demonstrated by spaceflight achievement was seen as necessary for national security, particularly in regard to intercontinental ballistic missile and satellite reconnaissance capability, but also became part of the cultural symbolism and ideology of the time.”
- en.wikipedia.org: “Kennedy's Moon landing goal was achieved in July 1969, with the flight of Apollo 11.”