What was the Space Race?
The Space Race was a long-lasting competition between the United States and the Soviet Union between the years of 1957 to 1975. The Space Race was launched by the delivery of the first artificial satellite into orbit in October 1957, Sputnik. Its ending is hard to pin down, but the first joint USA-USSR mission in July 1975 is often cited. An alternative starting date is the launch of the first intercontinental ballistic missile, R-7 Semyorka, just six weeks before the launch of Sputnik. The Space Race is often viewed as an extension of the Cold War. The USSR and USA were competing to outdo each other in the mediagenic field of space exploration, in an effort to prove that their system of political organization (Communism vs. Capitalism) was superior. Although the Soviet Union had a very strong start, launching the first satellite and the first human into space, the USA eventually triumphed in the long run, landing the first man on the Moon. By the mid-70s, the Soviet Union was entering
