The Soviet space program was Former Union of Soviet Socialists Republics’ (otherwise known as the Soviet Union or the U.S.S.R.) rocketry and space exploration projects and programs that ran beginning the 1930s until 1991. These highly classified military programs were the ones that led to the pioneering accomplishments in the field of space flight including the first animal in space, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, the first human in space and Earth orbit, the first satellite and a lot of other firsts.

In 1991, the Soviet space program was dissolved following the fall of the Soviet Union. Being left as the immediate heirs, Russia and Ukraine then created the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (now called the Russian Federal Space Agency or Roscosmos) and the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) respectively.

The Edge of Being is a 26-minute documentary by Dmitry Zavilgelskiy that focuses on the small town Russian citizens and farmers’ points of view regarding the Soviet space program.