From 1947 to 1989, Russia And America were in a technology race.
During this era, new technology was bringing people into space, and the world was fighting for who would go first. The two main countries in this space race were Soviet Russia and America. This lead to huge leaps in technological advancements, and triumphs in all STEM fields. But as relationships between America and Russia deteriorated, the underlying rivalry began to come to people's attention, and has yet to be solved since.
"The Cold War isn't thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn't sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting." - Richard M Nixon