Space Race

The Space Race was a competition during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve significant milestones in space exploration. It began in the late 1950s when the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. This spurred the U.S. to invest heavily in its own space program. Key events included the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, and ultimately the U.S. landing astronauts on the Moon in 1969 with Apollo 11. The Space Race symbolized technological superiority and was a reflection of the broader ideological rivalry between capitalism and communism.