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1. By objective standards the Soviets WERE much better at space travel, which was the prime motivation for Kennedy's 1961 speech to Congress wasn't it?
2. By the same objective standards today, the Russians make better rocket engines without which the United States couldn't even launch their own satellites.
3. Rather then resting on laurels earned decades ago maybe its time for another Presidential speech, or at the very least a tamping down of the irrational Russophobia...ymmv.

Objective standards usually require TRUTH from all sides. I don't really believe that the world heard much truth from the USSR or Russia about their abilities.

1. Yes, it probably was. Yuri Gagarin's flight woke up the first world. That is where the USSR stopped. Reagan just ran the USSR out of money.

2. Maybe they do make better engines; maybe they don't. I guess you believe what their media say. My husband always said that the Germans made great engines too, but he was just a mechanical engineer so what would he know?

3. 100% agreement with you.

Yuri Gagarin's flight woke up the first world.

It wasn't just Gagarin either...in 1963 Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space, followed by the first three man space crew, followed by the first space walk.

These accomplishments were eventually eclipsed by the first successful moon landing but remain as empirical evidence of 20th century Soviet technical prowess.

The fact the United States still relies on Russian rocket technology in the 21st century is simply more empirical evidence that defies the stereotype this author attempts to portray.