space race

American  

[speys reys] / 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.

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Etymology

Origin of space race

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Away from Earth, the space race will equally continue at speed, journalist and co-host of the Space Boffins podcast Sue Nelson told the BBC.

From BBC

Investors are still trying to make sense of the new space race, featuring mainly privately held companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin.

From Barron's

Investors are still trying to make sense of the new space race, featuring mainly privately held companies including SpaceX and Blue Origin.

From Barron's

There’s more going on than just a space race to the lunar south pole.

From Slate

That’s when the Space Race began to escalate.

From Literature