Encountering the Cold War initiated the exploration of a new tool in foreign policy for the United States, technological superiority in space. This came to be known as the "Space Race," a competition between the US and USSR for supremacy in spaceflight capabilities. This was crucial for national security and ideological superiority, which eventually helped lead to the end of the Cold War. The Space Race sparked the growth and exchange of ideas which increased the education, research, cooperation and development of the future.