MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) - Soviet cosmonaut...

The United States celebrates on Monday the 40th anniversary of the historic first moon walk.

"In my opinion it was the best competition in space ever held in the history of humanity. The moon race between the Soviet Union and the United States is the highest achievement of science and technology," said Leonov, who in 1965 became the first human to conduct a space walk.

Members of the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped down from the lunar lander onto the Moon"s Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969.

The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy"s goal of reaching the moon by the end of the 1960s.

"It was a very smart step taken by a great politician - he united the whole American nation in the accomplishment of this task," Leonov said.

Russia had its own moon program at the time, which had been underway for over two years by 1969.

"But the Americans had to win the moon race following the success of Soviet cosmonaut

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