Rockets. Rivalries. Moon landings. Mars missions.

In this episode of From the Vault, we rewind to one of the biggest science and politics stories of the last 100 years: the Space Race.

Why did countries suddenly start competing to leave Earth? How did World War II technology lead to rockets pointed at space instead of enemies? And why did the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union turn the sky into a global battleground?

Then, we fast-forward to today’s new space race: missions to Mars, powerful new space nations, and billionaire-backed companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin competing for the future beyond Earth.

Listen carefully — there’s a Squiz at the end!