Although many factors contribute to the questionable outcome of the Space Race, the United States of America proved to be above the competition. The idea of reaching outer space and even the moon brought many unwanted failures but also many world changing successes in both the United States and the U.S.S.R.
             During the early years of the Space Race , success was marked by headline-making " firsts". Russia took an early lead in the race, even after a few disappointing failures, and managed to be the first in outer space. Little was known by the Americans about the Soviet's its space program. Detailed information about the missions and the identity of the program managers and engineers were closely guarded state secrets, no one beyond a closed circle of scientists and technicians knew when the Soviets were launching a rocket. The Soviets reported only their successes and managed to keep the failure of so many missions hidden for decades, up until 1989 when the notebook of Konstatin Feoktiskov, an engineer and cosmonaut of the Soviet-Union, was found and contained details about most Soviet launches. The largest of the Soviet's known crashes was the explosion of the N-1, which was a rocket made to send men to the moon. It was a large failure and caused an enormous amount of destruction.
             The Soviet-Union stunned the world with the launch of Sputnik (satellite) on October 4, 1957. Sputnik broke through the gravitational pull and started circling the earth at 560 miles above ground. The Soviet wasted no time in taking advantage of the propaganda victory it had won "The present generation will witness how the freed and conscious labor of the people of the new socialist society turns the most daring of a man's dreams into reality" (Aaseng, Nathan p43) The National Broadcasting Company announced the Soviet victory over beeps coming from Sputnik as it orbited the earth. "Listen now for the sound which...