In July 1969, the Soviet Union’s N-1 mega rocket lifted off from Baikonur and detonated seconds later, unleashing an apocalyptic blast that set the moon program back at the worst possible moment.
In 1964, the Soviet Union rushed Voskhod 1 into orbit to beat the United States, squeezing three men into a tiny capsule with no spacesuits and no escape system. The mission succeeded on paper, but ...