""Displaying these accomplishments graphically makes it easy to see how the U.S. started behind but eventually caught up and surpassed the Soviet Union. The U.S. was a year behind in getting a ""Man in Orbit"" and then jumped ahead during the Gemini Program. The Soviets did not accomplish rendezvous and docking until three years after the U.S. did. The Soviets came very close to beating the U.S. in sending people around the Moon but the Zond 5 spacecraft and subsequent attempts although capable of carrying cosmonauts to the Moon were not able to achieve a reliably survivable return to Earth. Major setbacks were followed by multiple failures of their N-1 Moon rocket and the Soviets never sent any cosmonauts beyond Earth orbit. With six Apollo Moon landings the U.S. resoundingly won the Space Race. The Soviets continued to explore the Moon with robotic probes. Both nations continued sending probes to explore the solar system. Through diplomatic negotiations a new era of Detente was ushered in to significantly calm the fear of nuclear war. After years of intense competition in space the race was relaxed in 1975 with a dramatic display of cooperation on the Apollo-Soyuz mission.""