About Sputnik / Space Race
OVERVIEW
The Space Race refers to the Cold War-era rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, the world's largest superpowers at the time. The two nations were competing for technological dominance in space by pursuing intense scientific research and attempting to launch artificial satellites. The USSR beat the US to space with the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, spawning two decades of tense international relations. Many technologies widely used today such as memory foam mattresses and cellular data signals have their roots in the Space Race.