Space Week Quiz: Countdown to Launch with this Cold War Space Race Trivia

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“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." – JFK

A little competition never hurt anyone. That's what the political rivals, America and the Soviet Union, demonstrated to the world with its Space Race. The extremely competitive race to the moon offered everyone a little levity during the Cold War. While the Soviet Union scored many a first – from the first man in space to the first woman to the first space walk – eventually, the little engine that could (i.e. America) caught up and sprinted the final leg of the race to win the ultimate trophy: a moonrock. 

What do you remember about the space race? Take our Space Race Quiz and recall the details of one of the greatest feats of discovery.

Test your Science Knowledge

“And as the centuries unfold, we’ll go many, many places, but this is the first and this needs to be remembered as one of the wonderful things of the 20th century. It is a great adventure.”– Alan Bean

Your great adventure begins here with this Space Race Quiz!

What do you remember about the Space Race? Do you know when the Soviet space program began? What was the first artificial satellite that made it into orbit? What program that developed Apollo technology was the breakthrough for the Americans? Our Space Race Quiz may just help you win the Cold War.

Race to the Moon with our Space Race Quiz and carve out a piece of history for yourself!

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Jessica Holom is a freelance writer and digital nomad with a background in literature, art, and writing. She believes curiosity never killed a single cat and enjoys learning, world-exploring, and writing about both.

Space Race Quiz Questions

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Question 1

Meaning "traveler," what was the first artificial satellite in space called?

  • A
    Sobaka
  • B
    Kartoshka
  • C
    Privyet
  • D
    Sputnik

Question 2

We made it! Who were the first two men to walk on the Moon?

  • A
    Charles Duke and Neil Armstrong
  • B
    Buzz Aldrin and Gene Cernan
  • C
    Gene Cernan and Charles Duke
  • D
    Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin

Question 3

What program that helped develop Apollo technology was the breakthrough for the Americans?

  • A
    Project Virgo
  • B
    Taurus program
  • C
    Project Capricorn
  • D
    Gemini program

Question 4

During the Space Race, the Americans ran a secret project called Corona. What did it do?

  • A
    Identified foreign satellites
  • B
    Spread a virus
  • C
    Photographed the Soviet Union from space
  • D
    Developed spyware

Question 5

No, that wasn't a moonbeam. What was the first object to visit the moon?

  • A
    Sputnik 8
  • B
    Apollo 3
  • C
    Battlestar Galactica
  • D
    Luna 1

Question 6

Look at that Earthrise! What was the first manned space mission to orbit the Moon?

  • A
    Apollo 8
  • B
    Apollo 11
  • C
    Millennium Falcon
  • D
    Apollo 5

Question 7

"Challenge extended. Challenge accepted." When did the Space Race really launch?

  • A
    1975
  • B
    1965
  • C
    1995
  • D
    1955

Question 8

"Why can't we be friends..." When did the Soviets and the Americans finally come together for an international space flight?

  • A
    Never
  • B
    1975
  • C
    1986
  • D
    1995

Question 9

At over fifty years old, what is the earliest manmade satellite still in orbit?

  • A
    Explorer 1
  • B
    CASSIOPE
  • C
    Kosmos 954
  • D
    Vanguard 1

Question 10

Until 1960, all animals sent to space had not lived to tell the tale. What were the first animals sent to space who came back alive?

  • A
    Cats
  • B
    Monkeys
  • C
    Dogs
  • D
    Bunny rabbits

Question 11

Time for the Americans to step up their game. Which organization built the first American satellite?

  • A
    U.S. Army
  • B
    NASA
  • C
    CIA
  • D
    NSA

Question 12

Get the popcorn ready...What Russian film do all cosmonauts watch before a launch?

  • A
    White Sun of the Desert
  • B
    Burnt by the Sun
  • C
    Anna Karenina
  • D
    The Battleship Potemkin

Question 13

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." When did the Soviet space program begin?

  • A
    Late 19th century
  • B
    2021
  • C
    Early 20th century
  • D
    Mid 20th century

Question 14

Another sign that the Cold War had defrosted came in 1995 when an American boarded a Soviet spaceship. Name the astronaut.

  • A
    George Costanza
  • B
    Norman E. Thagard
  • C
    John Young
  • D
    Pete Conrad

Question 15

Enough with space shuttles. What was the first space station launched?

  • A
    Mir
  • B
    Salyut 1
  • C
    Skylab 1
  • D
    International Space Station

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