Earth is the place that has a near endless supply of land and water that can be explored. While the boundaries of the Earth can seem to provide man with sufficient areas to explore, it has not always been satisfactory. One of the greatest challenges that has faced man was the ability to go into space. Over the years rockets were created to go into space with the hopes that someday a manned rocket would orbit the Earth, and maybe even visit a different planet.
With the end of World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States became the two leading powers in the world. The Communist controlled Soviet Union and the free United States became the two countries that took to creating government programs to become the first country to go into outer space. Each country wanted to prove that their way of governing was the right way, and by winning the race into space, this would provide one country with bragging rights over the other.
In the early 1960's the Russians took the lead by becoming the first country to send a man into space. The Americans countered by becoming the first country to have a manned flight that orbited the Earth. Over the course of several years, each country claimed victories in the space race. However, the key moment in this race came when the United States landed a spaceship on the Moon, and eventually claimed the first man to walk on the Moon.
While the United States may have claimed victory in the race for space, both countries can claim many important firsts in space. In fact, the outer space exploration histories of the Soviet Union and the United States are very notable, and helped push each other to greater achievements. Eventually this led to joint ventures between the two countries that continue in a spirit of cooperation.
To learn more about the histories of these two countries, please review the following information and resources. We hope that it will give you a better understanding of the great space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.