While the goal of space exploration had existed beforehand, the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States spurred an engineering and scientific competition. The "Space Race" began with the launch of Sputnik in 1959 and climaxed in 1969, when the American astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. Space exploration and travel continue to this day in various forms and for a range of purposes. More on space exploration >>
- Apollo 13 Emergency Radio Transmission
- Apollo 9 Completes First Space Walk
- Christmas Eve Greeting to Earth
- Final Apollo Mission Leaves Moon
- First Allied Crossing of the Rhine
- Flight of Faith 7 Spacecraft
- John Glenn at Tickertape Parade
- John Glenn Returns to Space
- John Glenn Runs for Senate
- NASA Introduces Mercury Astronauts
- Neil Armstrong Walks on the Moon
- Pessimism Over U.S. Lunar Program
- Soviets Launch First Satellite
- U.S. and Soviets Link Up in Space
- USSR Lands First Lunar Spacecraft
- Voyager 1 Explores Saturn
- Yuri Gagarin Is First Man in Space
Advertisement
