The Space Race
The Space Race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to see who could be the first to put a human on the moon. The Space Race began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. The United States responded by launching Explorer 1, the first American satellite, in 1958. The Space Race was a time of great technological advancement. Both the United States and the Soviet Union developed new rockets, spacecraft, and other technologies in order to win the race. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel to space when he was launched into orbit by the Soviet Union. In 1969, the United States won the Space Race when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. The Space Race was a major turning point in history and it helped to pave the way for future exploration of space.