Ready to Go
The Soviet space program had significant turns and twists attached to it, so it could be possible. Everything goes back to the ending of WWII. As the Soviets got ready for a Cold War against the US, both sides were focused on rocket technology.
The Race Starts
Germany was the top performer in the space program, but when it lost the war, its information was split between the countries. The former allies didn’t want to share, so it became a race against time to get into space first.