space race

[ speys reys ]

noun

1. a Cold War rivalry in which the United States and the Soviet Union competed for primacy in space exploration, beginning with the Soviet launch of the artificial satellite Sputnik I on October 4, 1957, and effectively ending with the moon landing of the U.S. manned module Eagle on July 20, 1969.

Word History and Origins

Origin of space race¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.

From The Daily Beast