SHORT HISTORY, LONG ECHOES · A2/B1 · 50 min

The Space Race

Two countries, one big race — who could reach space first?

Want more detail? Read this lesson at B2/C1 level →

Today: tell the story of the Space Race, when two big countries — the USA and the USSR — tried to reach space first. Grammar: the past simple for the story, and be going to for plans.
Warm up — five words to remember. Each one comes from an earlier story in the series. Do you know it? Say what it means and use it in a sentence. Is it new? Good — learn it now. Click Reveal to check, and follow a link to read the story.
to escape — from Pompeii
What does it mean? Use it in a sentence about danger.
to escape — to get away from a place or from danger.
a leader — from The Romanovs
What does it mean? Name one leader of a country.
a leader — the person who is in charge of a country, a group or a team.
an empire — from The Romanovs
What does it mean? Name one empire from history.
an empire — a large group of countries or lands ruled by one country or one leader.
a journey — from Shackleton
What does it mean? Talk about a long journey you took.
a journey — a trip from one place to another, often a long one.
a hero — from Shackleton
What does it mean? Name a hero you know about.
a hero — a person people admire for doing something brave or great.

Now — the words for today's story

These are the new words for the Space Race. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.

Words

  1. a rocket
  2. space
  3. a satellite
  4. to orbit
  5. the Moon
  6. a race
  7. famous
  8. to land

Meanings

  • A. to go around and around a planet
  • B. a machine that flies up into space with fire and fuel
  • C. a contest to be the first or the fastest
  • D. the big empty area outside the Earth, with the stars
  • E. known by very many people
  • F. the big round object we see in the night sky
  • G. to come down onto the ground (or the Moon) safely
  • H. a machine that goes around the Earth in space

1 = B (a rocket) · 2 = D (space) · 3 = H (a satellite) · 4 = A (to orbit)

5 = F (the Moon) · 6 = C (a race) · 7 = E (famous) · 8 = G (to land)

Now talk — out loud

Before we read:
  • Which words are about a machine? Which words are about a place?
  • Use three of the words to guess: what do you think the two countries wanted to do first?

The story, in three parts

Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.

Part 1 — The first satellite

After the Second World War, two big countries did not trust each other: the United States (the USA) and the Soviet Union (the USSR). They did not fight directly. But they wanted to show the world who was stronger and better. People called this time the Cold War.

Both countries built big rockets. A rocket can carry a bomb — but it can also carry a machine into space. In 1957, the USSR was first. They put a small metal ball into space. Its name was Sputnik. It went around the Earth and made a "beep, beep" sound on the radio. It was the first satellite in the world.

People in the USA were very surprised and worried. They thought they were going to win any science contest easily. But now the USSR was in front! One month later, the USSR sent a dog named Laika into space. She was the first animal to go around the Earth. Sadly, the machine could not bring her home, and she did not come back.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What was Sputnik, and which country made it?

2. Why were people in the USA worried?

1. Sputnik was the first satellite. It was a small metal ball that went around the Earth. The USSR (the Soviet Union) made it.

2. They thought they were going to win easily, but the USSR was first. They were afraid the USSR was stronger.

Talk about it:
  • A small ball in space made a big country very worried. Why can a small thing make people feel afraid?

Part 2 — The first person in space

The USSR was first again. On 12 April 1961, a young pilot named Yuri Gagarin went into a small space capsule on top of a rocket. He said one word: "Let's go!" Then he flew up into space. He went around the Earth one time. His flight was only 108 minutes. He was the first person in space.

Gagarin came home a hero. Everyone knew his name. The USSR was very happy and proud. They showed the whole world: "Look what we can do!" The USA was not happy. Their first astronaut, Alan Shepard, flew three weeks later, but his flight was shorter.

The USA wanted a big new plan. In 1961, the President, John F. Kennedy, made a promise. He said: "We are going to send a man to the Moon, and bring him home, before 1970." It was a very big plan. At that time, the USA had only fifteen minutes of space flight! But now they had a clear goal.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. Who was Yuri Gagarin, and what did he do?

2. What big promise did President Kennedy make?

1. Yuri Gagarin was a pilot from the USSR. In 1961 he was the first person in space. He went around the Earth one time.

2. Kennedy said the USA was going to send a man to the Moon and bring him home before 1970.

Talk about it:
  • Kennedy made a very big promise about the Moon. Is it good for a leader to promise something very difficult? Why?

Part 3 — To the Moon

The USA started a very big project. About 400,000 people worked on it. It was not easy, and it was not always safe. In 1967, there was a fire in a space capsule on the ground, and three astronauts died. But the work went on.

In 1968, three American astronauts flew around the Moon and came home. Then, in July 1969, it happened: two men landed on the Moon. Hundreds of millions of people watched on TV. A man walked on the Moon for the first time. The USA kept Kennedy's promise. The USSR's big Moon rocket did not work well, so they stopped trying to land a person on the Moon.

The Space Race was a contest about power, not only about science. But it gave the world many good things. Today we have satellites for our phones, for TV and for the weather. We also got the first photos of the whole Earth from space. The race cost a lot of money, and some people died. But it changed our world — and people still ask: should we go to space to win, or to explore together?

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What happened in July 1969?

2. Name one good thing the Space Race gave the world.

1. Two American men landed on the Moon. A man walked on the Moon for the first time. The USA kept Kennedy's promise.

2. Any one: satellites for phones, TV or the weather; the first photos of the whole Earth; new science and technology.

Talk about it:
  • The Space Race cost a lot of money. Was it a good idea to spend so much to reach the Moon? Why, or why not?

Grammar: past simple / be going to

We use two easy things to tell this story: the past simple for what happened, and be going to for a plan someone had.

Past simple = a finished action in the past. Regular verbs add -ed: "The rocket landed." Many verbs are irregular: go → went, be → was/were, make → made, fly → flew. "Gagarin went into space in 1961."
be going to + verb = a plan or a thing we are sure about: "We are going to send a man to the Moon." In the past, we say was/were going to: "The USA thought they were going to win."
Feel the difference:
• past simple = it happened. "Sputnik flew around the Earth."
• be going to = it was the plan. "Kennedy said the USA was going to land on the Moon."

1. Past simple — write the verb

Put the verb in brackets into the past simple.

1. In 1957, the USSR (put) the first satellite into space.

2. Yuri Gagarin (go) into space in 1961.

3. In 1969, two men (land) on the Moon.

1. put (irregular: put → put)

2. went (irregular: go → went)

3. landed (regular: land → landed)

2. be going to — plans

Complete each sentence with going to and the verb in brackets.

1. Kennedy said: "We are (send) a man to the Moon."

2. The USA thought they were (win) the race easily.

3. Next year, the astronauts are (fly) around the Moon.

1. going to send (going to + base verb)

2. going to win (were going to + base verb)

3. going to fly (going to + base verb)

3. Tell a short part of the story

Fill each gap with the past simple, or with going to (in the correct form). Read it aloud when you finish.

In 1957, the USSR (send) the first satellite into space. The USA thought they were (win) easily, but they were wrong. Then, in 1961, Gagarin (become) the first person in space. Kennedy said the USA was (go) to the Moon.

sent (past simple) · going to win (a plan) · became (past simple) · going to go (a plan)

Use the past simple for what happened, and going to for a plan.

Listen

There is a real podcast about the Space Race. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.

🎧 Heard it already? Good — use this lesson as your recap, and listen for new details next time. Haven't? No problem — you now know the story and the key words, and that makes a fast podcast much easier to follow. The podcast is optional; this lesson works on its own.

Short History Of… The Space Race

From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. It plays on the Noiser site, or search "Short History Of The Space Race" on Spotify.

Play on Noiser →

Prefer Spotify? Open the show and search "Short History Of The Space Race".

While you listen:
  • Write down three words you hear and know from today's lesson (rocket, space, satellite, Moon, race, land…).
  • Can you hear the names Sputnik and Gagarin?
  • Find one new thing the podcast says, and tell me about it next time — even just one sentence.

Speak

Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.

Useful language: use the past simple for the story ("Gagarin went into space", "two men landed on the Moon"), and be going to for a plan ("Kennedy said they were going to reach the Moon"). To give an opinion: "I think…", "In my opinion…", "For me, the reason is…".
Time remaining: 3:00
Task A · Tell the story (3 minutes)

Tell the story of the Space Race in your own words. Use these steps to help you: two countries, the USA and the USSR → Sputnik, the first satellite → Gagarin, the first person in space → Kennedy's promise about the Moon → two men land on the Moon in 1969.

Try to use the past simple for what happened, and be going to for the plans. Use some of the key words (rocket, space, satellite, orbit, Moon, race, famous, land).

Task B · Space today (3 minutes)

Today, people still send rockets into space. Do you think space travel is a good idea? Is it a good way to spend money? Would you like to go to space? Why, or why not?

Task C · A race or a plan of your own (3 minutes)

Tell a short story of your own. Use the past simple for what happened, and be going to for a plan.

Not sure what to talk about? Choose one:

  • A race or a competition you were in, or you watched. Who won?
  • A time when two teams or two people wanted to be first.
  • Something you saw about space — a film, the news, or the night sky.
  • A plan you have — something you are going to do soon.
  • A time you thought you were going to win, but you did not (or you did!).
  • A place you would like to visit — the Moon, or somewhere on Earth.

To finish

  1. The Space Race was between two countries who did not trust each other. Can a contest between rivals still be a good thing? Why?
  2. The race cost a lot of money, but it gave us satellites and new science. Was it worth it?
  3. From memory: give one sentence in the past simple, and one with be going to. Why is each one right?