Space Race Collection

Earthrise over Moon, Apollo 8
Earthrise from the Moon. This photograph was taken during the Apollo 8 mission of 21-27 December 1968. The lunar horizon is about 570 kilometers from the spacecraft, whilst the Earth is 384

Laika the space dog postcard. Artwork on postcard of Laika, the bitch who became the first animal in space. She was launched aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft

Earthrise over Moon, Apollo 8. This famous image, one of the first of the Earth seen from another world, was taken by US astronauts on board the Apollo 8 spacecraft on 24th December 1968 as they

Earthrise photographed from Apollo 11 spacecraft
Earthrise. This photograph of a blue & white Earth rising over the horizon of the Moon was taken from the Apollo 11 spacecraft in July 1969

Apollo 11 astronaut footprint on Moon
Armstrongs footprint on the Moon. Apollo 11 photograph of the footprint of astronaut Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, imprinted in the lunar surface

Yuri Gagarin. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934- 1968) in his space helmet. Gagarin became the first person in space when he was launched on Vostok 1 on 12 April 1961

Apollo 17 astronaut. US astronaut and geologist Dr Harrison Schmitt exploring the Taurus-Littrow region of the Moon, as part of NASAs Apollo 17 mission

Astronaut footprints on the Moon. Computer artwork recreating a photograph of boot imprints left by astronauts on the Moon

Yuri Gagarin onboard Vostok 1
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in the cabin of Vostok 1, the spacecraft in which he became the first person to orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961

Yuri Gagarin. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934- 1968) in his space helmet. Gagarin became the first person in space when he was launched on Vostok 1 on 12 April 1961

Earth from the Moon
Earth rising above the Moon. This image was taken from 112 kilometres above the Moon during the Apollo 8 mission on 24th December 1968

Alexei Leonov, first space walk, 1965
First space walk. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov (born 1934), outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft in a spacesuit on 18 March 1965, while orbiting the Earth (in the background)

Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, in front of the Vostok 6 spacecraft in which she made 48 revolutions of the Earth on June 16-19, 1963

Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (1934-1968), Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space, artwork. Gagarin was born near Gzhatsk, Russia

Yuri Gagarin before launch, 1961
Yuri Gagarin before launch, in his flight suit and helmet, in a bus heading toward the Vostok 1 launch site in Kazakhstan, USSR, on 12 April 1961

Apollo spacecraft at the Moon, artwork
Apollo spacecraft at the Moon. Artwork of the Apollo Lunar Module (LM, left, gold) and the Apollo Command/Service Module (CSM, right, grey) at the Moon, with the Earth in the background

Apollo Lunar Module interior. Designed for a crew of two, the controls were used by the pilot to descend from lunar orbit to the Moons surface

President Kennedy makes his We choose to go to the Moon speech, Rice University, 1962. US President John F. Kennedy gives his We choose to go to the Moon speech in Houston, Texas

Gemini 7 in orbit, seen from the Gemini 6A spacecraft during rendezvous manouvres. These two spacecraft launched separately, Gemini 7 on 4 December 1965, and Gemini 6A on 15 December 1965

Sputnik 1 stamp. Artwork of Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite, on a stamp issued by the communist government of the former Soviet Union. Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4th, 1957

Vostok 1 spacecraft after landing, 1961
Vostok 1 descent module after landing in the Saratov region of Russia, in the USSR, on 12 April 1961. Vostok 1 was the first spacecraft to take a human into space

Spacecraft on the Moon, lunar map
Spacecraft on the Moon. Map showing coloured markers for 34 spacecraft that impacted or landed on the Moon from the 1960s onwards

Orbit of Sputnik 1, Soviet 1957 diagram
Orbit of Sputnik 1. Diagram showing the Earth orbits possible for different spacecrafts. Sputnik 1, the first spacecraft ever to reach Earth orbit, was launched on 4 October 1957 by the Soviet Union

Gagarin and Tereshkova, souvenir postcard
Gagarin and Tereshkova, Soviet cosmonauts, souvenir postcard. Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) was the first person in space. On 12 April 1961

Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin (1934-1968), Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space. Gagarin was born in the village of Klushino near Gzhatsk, Russia

Installation of Vostok spacecraft
Vostok spacecraft installation. Workers installing a Vostok spacecraft. Vostok were Soviet spacecraft used as part of the Vostok programme, which flew six manned spaceflights between 1961 and 1963

Komarov before Soyuz 1 launch, 1967
Komarov before Soyuz 1 launch, speaking at the launch site in Kazakhstan, on 23 April 1967. Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov (1927-1967) was killed during this mission

Sputnik 1 postcard. Artwork of Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite, on a postcard issued by the communist government of the former Soviet Union

Launch of Vostok 1 spacecraft, 1961
Launch of Vostok 1 spacecraft. Close-up of the exhaust flames of the rocket launching Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) into orbit from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on 12 April 1961

Vostok 1 Soviet spacecraft
Vostok (Russian осток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the humanspaceflight programme but later used for other sputnik

Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut
Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), soviet cosmonaut and first man in space. Gagarin made the first manned space flight on 12 April 1961

Official Portrait of Neil Armstrong, 1969 (photo)
5322852 Official Portrait of Neil Armstrong, 1969 (photo); (add.info.: Apollo 11 mission of July 1969 commanded by Neil Armstrong was the first manned moon landing); Photo © NASA

Saturn V rocket launch, artwork. The Saturn V was the launch vehicle for NASAs Apollo program of manned missions to the Moon. The Apollo program took place between 1961 and 1975

Yuri Gagarin driving through London, UK
Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space, driving through London, UK, in an open-top car. Gagarin made the first manned space flight on 12 April 1961

Sputnik 1 launch. Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite, being launched by an R-7 Semyorka rocket from Tyuratam military range (now Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan, on 4 October 1957

Soyuz docking mission, news reports, 1969
Front-page Western news reports on the Soviet Soyuz docking mission of January 1969, the first time two manned spacecraft had docked

Explorer 1 in orbit
Explorer 1. Computer artwork of Americas first successful artificial satellite, Explorer 1, in orbit. Explorer 1 was launched on 31 January 1958

Apollo 17 sample of lunar basalt. The dark areas visible on the Moon (the lunar maria) are plains of flood basaltic lava flows

Apollo 16 lunar rover, artwork
Apollo 16 lunar rover. Artwork of the US astronaut John Watts Young (born 1930) driving a lunar rover on a performance test run on the Moons surface

Apollo lunar rover, artwork. Two Apollo astronauts in a lunar rover, exploring on the Moon. Their lunar landing module is at upper left

Vostok rocket, Moscow, Russia
Vostok (Russian осток, translated as "East") was a family of rockets derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the humanspaceflight programme but later used for other sputnik

Soyuz 11 crew before launch, 1971
Soyuz 11 crew before launch. Soviet cosmonauts (left to right) Georgy Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Sputnik 1 rocket track. Long exposure photograph of the night sky showing the track of the rocket that carried Sputnik 1, the worlds first artificial satellite

Yuri Gagarin as a student, 1953
Yuri Gagarin as a student. Students at the Saratov Industrial Polytechnic, Saratov, USSR, in 1953. At centre is Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968), who later became famous as the first man in space

Sergei Korolev, 1961
Sergei Korolev (1907-1966), pioneering Soviet rocket scientist, during the launch of Vostok 1, the first manned space mission, in April 1961

Tupolev and Chelomei, Moscow, 1980
Alexei Andreyevich Tupolev (1925-2001, left), Soviet aircraft designer, and Vladimir Nikolayevich Chelomei (1914-1984, right), Soviet rocket engineer

Explorer 1 in orbit, artwork
Explorer 1 in orbit. Computer artwork of Americas first successful artificial satellite, Explorer 1, in orbit over Earth. Explorer 1 was launched on 31 January 1958

Moons surface, Zond 3 image
Moons surface. Photocopy of an image taken by the Soviet lunar probe Zond 3, on 1st September 1966, showing the cratered surface of the far side of the Moon

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"Space Race: A Journey Beyond Boundaries" Embarking on a celestial quest, humanity's fascination with the unknown ignited an era of unprecedented exploration. Earthrise over Moon, captured by Apollo 8, forever changed our perspective as we witnessed our home suspended in the vastness of space. In this captivating race to conquer the cosmos, even Laika, the brave space dog, left her pawprint on history through a postcard from beyond. As Earthrise was photographed again from Apollo 11 spacecraft, mankind took its first steps towards another world. The iconic astronaut footprint on the lunar surface marked not only a giant leap for mankind but also symbolized our indomitable spirit and unwavering determination. From Apollo 17 to countless missions afterward, astronauts continued leaving their mark upon the Moon's dusty terrain. Gazing back at Earth from this alien landscape evoked profound awe and sparked newfound appreciation for our fragile blue planet amidst an endless void. Alexei Leonov's pioneering spacewalk in 1965 further pushed boundaries as he floated freely outside his spacecraft. Gemini 7 gracefully orbited above us while Valentina Tereshkova became a trailblazer as she soared into orbit aboard Vostok Yuri Gagarin's historic journey encapsulated human courage and resilience as he ventured into uncharted territories. The Space Race propelled humanity forward like never before – it united nations under shared aspirations and fueled scientific advancements that continue shaping our lives today. It was more than just a competition; it represented humanity's relentless pursuit of knowledge and discovery. As we reflect upon these milestones etched in time, let us remember that beyond national rivalries lay dreams woven together by stardust – dreams that still inspire generations to reach for the stars and explore what lies beyond our earthly confines.