The space race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to achieve significant milestones in space exploration. It began in the late 1950s, marked by the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1 in 1957, which was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. This event sparked fears in the U.S. about technological superiority and led to increased investment in science and education. In response, the United States focused on its own space program, leading to significant achievements such as the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, which successfully landed the first humans on the Moon. The space race not only advanced space technology but also had lasting impacts on international relations and scientific collaboration.