The Space Race was a competition between two countries, the United States and the Soviet Union, to explore outer space. Both countries wanted to be the first to achieve different goals. For example, the United States wanted to be the first to send a person to the Moon and the Soviets wanted to be the first to have a satellite go around Earth. Everyone was excited as the two countries tried to beat each other by sending rockets and satellites into space. Finally, the United States won the Space Race in 1969 when it became the first country to land a man on the Moon.