In the twentieth century, the dream of space travel became real. It started in 1957, with the launch of the first human-made object into space. The Sputnik 1 satellite, which orbited Earth, was built by the USSR.
Russia was the strongest member of the USSR, also called the Soviet Union. The launch was a surprise to Americans, and it started the space race. That was a big competition with the USSR. Then, in 1975, U.S. and USSR crafts linked up in space. They stopped trying to win the race and started working together.
