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

The U.S., now in a space race with China, has once again made returning to the moon a priority.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

During the Cold War space race with the Soviets, the point of getting to the Moon was almost entirely geopolitical.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Meanwhile, an interplanetary space race between the U.S.,

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

California has been at the forefront of the modern-day space race.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

I chose the blast-off of the Explorer, the satellite that put our country into the space race.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals