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

However, the UK is in danger of being left behind in the space race.

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A lunar-lander version of Starship in development is a key element of NASA’s Artemis mission to land Americans back on the moon in a space race with the Chinese.

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In the Cold War there was a space race, an arms race and culture wars, too.

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"We're in a second space race right now," Nasa's acting administrator Sean Duffy told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday where he spoke about US discoveries on Mars.

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The Artemis Accords, which is a set of ideals to promote sustainable and peaceful exploration of outer space, has been signed by more than 50 countries - including ones like Uruguay, Estonia and Rwanda, which are not traditionally seen as key space race nations.

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