The document discusses key events in the space race between the United States and Russia, including Sputnik being the first satellite to orbit Earth in 1958, the Apollo 1 fire that killed its crew during a launch rehearsal in 1967, Apollo 8 being the first to orbit the moon in 1968, Russia landing the first spacecraft on the moon in 1969, the US landing on the moon with Apollo 11 in 1976 but Russia having already made important discoveries, Russia becoming the first to send a mission to Mars in 1983, and suggesting that because of their early lead Russia had advanced far ahead in technology by 2012 compared to the US.