What was the space race?

The Space Race was the Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve major firsts in space exploration, particularly the goal of landing astronauts on the Moon. The contest had military, scientific, and propaganda dimensions because rockets capable of putting satellites into orbit could also deliver nuclear warheads to enemy cities. The race began with a shock for the United States when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. The basketball-sized satellite circled the Earth every 96 minutes and broadcast a simple beeping signal that American radio listeners could hear at home. Sputnik triggered fears that the Soviets had taken a decisive lead in technology and military capability.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded by signing the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, creating NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he orbited the Earth aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. American astronaut Alan Shepard followed three weeks later with a 15-minute suborbital flight aboard Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961. Twenty days later, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged Congress to commit the nation to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely before the end of the decade. The Apollo program eventually employed about 400,000 Americans and cost roughly 25 billion dollars in 1960s money.

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space in June 1963 aboard Vostok 6. American astronaut John Glenn had become the first American to orbit Earth in February 1962. The race accelerated through the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Tragedy struck the Apollo program when astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee died in a launch pad fire on January 27, 1967. The Soviets lost cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov in a crash that April.

Apollo 8 became the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in December 1968. Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface. The United States had won the race. Five more Apollo missions landed on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. Twelve American astronauts walked on the lunar surface in total.