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space race
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space race

Soviet Unionā€“United States
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The Space Race was a competitive rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union for supremacy in space exploration. The Soviet Union achieved early milestones, launching Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, in 1957, and sending the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into orbit in 1961.123

The United States responded with President John F. Kennedy's goal of a lunar landing. This culminated in the Apollo 11 mission, where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969. This achievement is widely considered the United States' victory in the Space Race.14

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
6 Britannica Sources
  1. Who Won the Space Race?
  2. 20th-century international relations - Arms control and defense
  3. space exploration - Soviet Union
  4. All 119 References in ā€œWe Didnā€™t Start the Fire,ā€ Explained - Sputnik
  5. Timeline of the Space Race, 1957ā€“69
  6. space exploration - The Apollo lunar landings and Apollo-Soyuz

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