The space race was a mid-late 20th century competition that was between the Soviet Union and United States of America to try and best one another's achievements in space exploration. The first goal of the space race was to get a satellite or something into space which the Soviets quickly won when they launched Sputnik the artificial satellite, into space on October 4, 1957. The United State's first reaction was fear, then they set out to accomplish a greater goal, therefore starting the space race. They quickly established NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) with the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958. Nasa's goal was to "to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers". Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958 and was the first satellite to orbit the earth. Things were going further and further until finally the U.S succeeded on July 16, 1969 when Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. Russia's Yuri Gargarin became the first human to travel into space on April 12, 1961 and the first American in space, soon followed. The first American in space was Mercury Astronaut Alan B. Shepherd. on May 5, 1961. John Glenn, a now famous astronaut became the first American to orbit the earth on February 20, 1962. Soon after, Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova became the first woman in space on June 16, 1963. In May 1961, John F. Kennedy announced to the world that "the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade." The purpose or overall goal, of Apollo 11 was to land men on the lunar surface and return them to Earth safely. The crew was Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E Aldrin Jr.