The Space Race was a critical part of the Cold War, as it was seen as a test of superiority. In the US, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration were given control of all space activity that was not military-based. For the Soviet Union, success in space would mean the success of communism. However, the Space Race was seen as part of the arms race, especially after both countries signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963, which banned nuclear testing above ground. The Soviet Union in particular viewed the agreement as “a humiliation”, and swore to continue to fight for superiority in other areas, especially in space.
However, as the United States had their tragedies, both within and outside their program, so too did the Soviet Union…
(information was taken from the Royal Air Force Museum http://www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org/schools-colleges/national-curriculum/space-race/ and the Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War)
The Apollo- Soyuz Test Project 