WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The competition began on 2 August 1955, when the Soviet Union responded to the US announcement of their similar intent to launch artificial satellites. The Space Race has its origins in the nuclear arms race between the two nations following the Second World War.

Detailed explanation-2: -The “space race” was a Cold War competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites, unmanned space probes, and human spaceflight.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the two nations following World War II.

Detailed explanation-4: -While it often fuelled Cold War rivalry and paranoia, the Space Race also yielded considerable benefits for human society. Space exploration required and produced rapid improvements and advances in many fields, including telecommunications, micro-technology, computer science and solar power.

Detailed explanation-5: -The world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957, marking the start of the space race. This guide provides suggested research materials on this topic at the Library of Congress and online.