The Space Race was an informal competition between
the United States and the Soviet Union, as each side tried to match
or better the other's accomplishments in exploring outer space. It involved
the efforts to explore outer space with artificial satellites, to send
man into space, and to land him on the Moon.
The Space Race effectively began after the Soviet launch
of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. The term originated
as an analogy to the arms race. The Space Race became an important part
of the cultural, technological, and ideological rivalry between the
United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Space technology
became a particularly important arena in this conflict, because of both
its potential military applications and the morale-boosting social benefits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Race
