The Soviet players

• Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, head of OKB-1 (now RKK Energiya) - Designed Sputnik, Luna, Vostok, Soyuz, etc.

• Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel', head of OKB-586 (now KB Yuzhnoe) in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine - designed R-12 (Cuban missile crisis)

• Vladimir Nikolaevich Chelomey, head of OKB-52 (now Krunichev) - ASAT, UR-100, Proton, Almaz

• operated like three independent space agencies