1959: The Space Race

Our first full topic episode of the month takes us back to when the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union really kicked into high gear. By 1959, the Soviet Union held a massive technological lead in the Space Race. Driven by intense Cold War geopolitics, the United States and its newly formed space agency, NASA, went all-in on a singular, daring goal: beat the Soviets to the Moon. As America stood on the precipice of global scientific domination, Russia's time as a superpower was rapidly coming to an end, as the country crumbled from within.