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space race

American

[speys reys] / ˈspeɪs ˌreɪs /

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of space race

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

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space race

It was the soundtrack of the Cold War and the space race.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Plus: AI for dementia patients, the Bezos-Musk space race, the Mac Mini shortage and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026

Those budget cuts have Mirmina questioning the U.S.’s chances of winning the new space race and retaining highly knowledgeable personnel.

From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026

America is locked in a space race with other nations - notably China, with both nations vying to be the first to return humans to the Moon.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026

Even without the pressure of the space race, even without the mandate to beat the enemy.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023