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Fascinating December 1959 "Conquest of Space" graphic, likely intended for Italian Schools.

The Space Race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era, marked by advancements in space exploration between 1950 and 1960. The United States and the Soviet Union were the primary players, but other countries such as France and Japan also had active space programs.

The Space Race began with the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The launch of Sputnik 1 sparked a wave of scientific and technological advancements in the field of space exploration. The United States, which was caught off guard by the launch of Sputnik 1, was motivated to catch up and surpass the Soviet Union.

The United States space program was led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which was established in 1958. NASA developed the Apollo program, which aimed to land a man on the moon. The United States also developed the Saturn V rocket, which was capable of launching astronauts into space. In 1969, the United States achieved its goal with the successful landing of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon.

The Soviet Union’s space program was led by the Soviet Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of General Machine Building. The Soviet Union focused on developing the Vostok spacecraft, which was capable of carrying astronauts into space. The Soviet Union also developed the Soyuz spacecraft, which was used to launch cosmonauts into space. The Soviet Union had several successful space missions, including the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963.

Other countries, such as Japan and France, also had active space programs during the Space Race. Japan’s space program focused on developing satellites for communication and navigation purposes, while France’s space program focused on the study of space and the development of space technology.

Italy’s space program, led by the Italian Space Agency, was not established until 30 years later in 1988. Italy’s space program focused on satellite technology and the study of space. Italy’s most notable contribution to the Space Race was the development of the San Marco program, which aimed to launch a satellite into orbit using an Italian-built rocket.