space race

American  

[spays rays] / ˈspeɪs ˌreɪs /

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of space race

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

space race

It would also keep the United States ahead of China in a renewed space race.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

The space race is heating up ahead of SpaceX’s initial public offering.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

Musk: Here’s a look at how the space race is heating up between two of the world’s richest men after Amazon bought a satellite operator this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026

Past installments have seen the hippos found a power company, join the space race and tank the stock market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

Because of the overwhelmingly white public face of the space program, the black engineers, scientists, and mathematicians who were deeply involved with the space race nevertheless lived in its shadows, even within the black community.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly