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By the late 1950s, political rivalry between the Soviet Union and the United States charged the "manned" exploration of space with a high level of social and cultural significance. While unmanned satellites and probes contributed much more scientific data about the solar system, the manned exploration of space received public praise and support. The presence of human beings in space created national heroes, drove the design of more powerful launch vehicles, and created a vast bureaucracy dedicated to the exploration of space.