Travel into the past with these space race era photos. Between 1955 and 1975, the world witnessed a dramatic and daring race beyond the atmosphere. It was a time when the United States and the Soviet Union turned their eyes to the skies and competed for the future. It wasn’t just about rockets and satellites; it was about pride, power, and pushing the limits of what was thought possible.
This was more than a race, it was a leap into the unknown, fueled by vision, courage, and an unshakable belief in what might lie beyond Earth’s edge. Here are 20 vintage photos from the space race era.
1. Yuri Gagarin, 1961
Gagarin was the first man ever to be in space.
2. It’s not rocket science
Oh, wait, yes, it is. NASA, 1961.
3. Neil Armstrong, 1962
He’s testing out an early Gemini space suit.
4. Wernher von Braun, 1969
He’s posing in front of the Saturn V’s engines.
5. The first female engineer in NASA’s Mission Control during the space race
Her name is Frances Northcutt, and her team brought the disastrous Apollo 13 astronauts home safely.
6. The first woman in space meets the first man on the moon
Valentina Tereshkova and Neil Armstrong meeting in Star City.
7. Working in a Cape Canaveral control room, 1960s
How did they keep track of all those buttons?
8. The day that shocked the world, 1969
Neil A. walking on the moon.
9. Katherine Johnson, 1960s
Johnson was a mathematician who helped NASA win the space race. She lived for 101 years, held 13 honorary doctorate degrees, and had a Computational Research Facility in Virginia.
10. Soviet scientist running tests, 1957
He’s currently running tests on Sputnik 1 before its launch.
11. The Apollo 1 crew in 1966
Everyone needs a little downtime.
12. The public wasn’t happy about the Space Race
Billions to go to space, and pennies for the hungry.
13. Win the race into space
Yellow Pages is showing its support.
14. Kmart employees watching the moon landing, 1969
All eyes were on the screen on July 16, 1969.
15. Ham the astrochimp
He’s currently undergoing training to head into space.
16. This is the rocket that sent Ham the chimp to space
There’s a monkey in that rocket.
17. 1960s visions of future space exploration
This is where we thought we would be after the space race in the ’60s.
18. How the space race affected fashion
It can’t be easy to eat with that cone on his head.
19. Testing a rocket, early 1960s
You’d think the crew would be hundreds of people strong, not just 3 men.
20. Examining part of the rocket
The photographer must have said, “Look busy.”
Want to see more vintage content?
Check out these 35 Vintage Photos From 50 Years Ago That Put Time in Perspective, or take a look at 19 Vintage Photos of Van Life in the 1970s. If you want to go deep into our nation’s past, check out these 30 Vintage Photos of the American Gold Rush.
