About the book: 1966 / After the loss of the so-called “atomic monopoly” by the United States, American militarists include in the scope of their activities outer space, during the development of which they they hoped to create a new “total weapon.” Believing in their technical “superiority,” they believed that the United States was the “chosen” country destined to be the first to penetrate the vastness of space. The advent of Soviet satellites dealt a crushing blow to these illusions. The failed “rulers of the world” had to know the bitterness of humiliating impotence. As during the creation of the atomic bomb, they were forced to turn to foreign scientists for help - this time to von Braun and his Peenemünde colleagues. Miscalculations, self-promotion and attempts to overtake the Soviet Union at any cost could not, of course, contribute to the growth of the scientific and technological prestige of the United States. However, one cannot underestimate the technical capabilities of the United States, much less discount the danger that the course taken by Washington poses to the cause of peace in the field of space research. The author offers readers a brief history of space exploration by the United States, shows the difference in the goals of the USSR and the USA in space exploration, and vividly presents interesting material based on original sources. International Relations Publishing House Moscow 1966