<P> In 1955 , with both the United States and the Soviet Union building ballistic missiles that could be utilized to launch objects into space , the `` starting line '' was drawn for the Space Race . In separate announcements four days apart , both nations publicly announced that they would launch artificial Earth satellites by 1957 or 1958 . On July 29 , 1955 , James C. Hagerty , president Dwight D. Eisenhower 's press secretary , announced that the United States intended to launch `` small Earth circling satellites '' between July 1 , 1957 , and December 31 , 1958 , as part of their contribution to the International Geophysical Year ( IGY ) . Four days later , at the Sixth Congress of International Astronautical Federation in Copenhagen , scientist Leonid I. Sedov spoke to international reporters at the Soviet embassy , and announced his country 's intention to launch a satellite as well , in the `` near future '' . On August 30 , 1955 , Korolev managed to get the Soviet Academy of Sciences to create a commission whose purpose was to beat the Americans into Earth orbit : this was the de facto start date for the Space Race . The Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union began a policy of treating development of its space program as a classified state secret . </P>
<P> In 1955 , with both the United States and the Soviet Union building ballistic missiles that could be utilized to launch objects into space , the `` starting line '' was drawn for the Space Race . In separate announcements four days apart , both nations publicly announced that they would launch artificial Earth satellites by 1957 or 1958 . On July 29 , 1955 , James C. Hagerty , president Dwight D. Eisenhower 's press secretary , announced that the United States intended to launch `` small Earth circling satellites '' between July 1 , 1957 , and December 31 , 1958 , as part of their contribution to the International Geophysical Year ( IGY ) . Four days later , at the Sixth Congress of International Astronautical Federation in Copenhagen , scientist Leonid I. Sedov spoke to international reporters at the Soviet embassy , and announced his country 's intention to launch a satellite as well , in the `` near future '' . On August 30 , 1955 , Korolev managed to get the Soviet Academy of Sciences to create a commission whose purpose was to beat the Americans into Earth orbit : this was the de facto start date for the Space Race . The Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union began a policy of treating development of its space program as a classified state secret . </P>
when did the space race begin cold war
when did the space race begin cold war
1955
1955