The resulting delays in science programs reached a crisis when the Challenger orbiter was lost, in effect putting America's scientific space effort on hold for over two years.

挑战者号失事之后造成的拖延给正在进行中的科研项目造成了很大的危机，事实上使得美国的太空科研项目停滞了两年以上。

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They were to make the first effort at a space chase.

VOA: special.2009.06.24

But after Korolev's death in 1966, the Soviet space effort lost focus.

BBC: What if the Soviet Union had beaten the US to the Moon?

According to Piers Bizony, the rival schemes sucked resources from each other: "There was a great deal of confusion in the Soviet space effort in the late 1960s and as a result they didn't have the technology to send a man to the Moon, " he says.

BBC: What if the Soviet Union had beaten the US to the Moon?

It has a strong space science effort under way, with two orbiting satellites having already been launched to the Moon.

BBC: Rocket launches Chinese space lab