The Soviet Union, or the USSR, was one of the most powerful and mysterious superpowers in history, with a lasting impact on ...

It’s a vision of the 1980s Soviet Union as an imposing and alien world, detached from reality and humanity, and run by menacing figures with little adherence to normal codes of conduct, or morality.

In this file Jan. 12, 2011, file photo, Sarah Palin gives a statement about the shooting in Tucson. On Wednesday she offered her take on the "Sputnik moment" from the State of the Union.

The launch of Sputnik 60 years ago opened the space era and became a major triumph for the Soviet Union, showcasing its military might and technological prowess. It also stunned the rest of the world.

When Sputnik was launched on Oct. 4, 1957, ... The point here is not that the Soviet Union was inherently superior to the United States, either morally or scientifically.

Sputnik passed over the United States twice before the government knew about it, ... In fact, the Soviet Union beat the U.S. into space only because the U.S. was in no great hurry to get there.

Obama said recently that we're in a "sputnik moment," which was a reference to the shock experienced in the United States when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space on Oct. 4, 1957.

For the Soviet Union, the launch of the satellite was a triumph not just for science. but socialism.

MOSCOW (AP) — The launch of Sputnik 60 years ago opened the space era and became a major triumph for the Soviet Union, showcasing its military might and technological prowess.