The Great Race to the Stars
Like Duolingo, but for The Great Race to the Stars. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android

Key ideas in The Great Race to the Stars
- Space achievements as political propaganda
- Satellite launches as proof of ICBM technology
- Military panic over satellite launches
- Manned missions as proof of engineering reliability
- The USSR promoted space wins as proof of communist efficiency
- The US promoted its program as a triumph of free-market innovation
- The race began with the development of long-range missiles
- Satellite launches preceded human spaceflight attempts
- Space achievements served as propaganda for political ideologies
- The link between political ideology and national goals
- Satellite launches proved ICBM technology worked
- The escalation of the race from early goals to high-stakes competition
- Technological superiority in space implied military and missile capability
- Developing satellite technology for global surveillance
- Why the US and USSR viewed space as a critical arena for competition
- Demonstrating the power of their respective rocket boosters
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives The Great Race to the Stars the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Imagine a world divided by two rival powers. Why would they spend billions just to put a metal ball in orbit?
Get it right to open this lesson and 87 more in the app.
Where The Great Race to the Stars takes you
Travel back to a time when two superpowers competed to leave the Earth behind. Discover the brave pilots, giant rockets, and incredible inventions that changed our world forever.
- 1
How the Race Started
- Two Countries with Big Dreams
- The First Beep from Space
- Why Everyone Was Scared and Excited
- Building the First Rocket Teams
- 2
Living Things Leave the Earth
- The First Dog in Orbit
- Chimpanzees in Space Suits
- The First Human to Circle the Globe
- America's First Space Hero
- The Woman Who Flew to the Stars
- Surviving the Trip Back Home
- 3
Learning to Work in Space
- Taking the First Space Walk
- How to Park Two Ships Together
- Living in a Tiny Metal Box
- 4
The Giant Leap to the Moon
- The Most Powerful Rocket Ever Built
- A Sad Day on the Launch Pad
- The Long Journey to the Lunar Surface
- Walking on the Moon for the First Time
- Bringing Moon Rocks Back to Earth
- 5
From Rivals to Friends
- The Famous Handshake in Orbit
- Building a Home in the Sky Together
- How Space Tech Changed Your Kitchen
- What We Learned from the Race
5 sections · 22 units · 88 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
The Great Race to the Stars is taught in the The Storyteller style: every lesson is a story. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
More History on Tomo
Marriage: The Power Behind the Vows
Go beyond the white dress to discover how marriage was used as a tool for survival, wealth, and social control. Explore how an ancient contract for land and labor transformed into a modern quest for love.
Voyages of the Great Ocean
Master the history of the world's largest ocean. From ancient wayfinders and the Tongan Empire to the complex legacy of global colonization and modern cultural resilience.
The Shipwreck of Paul: Malta’s Apostolic Legacy
Trace the transformative 100 days of the Apostle Paul on Malta through the lens of 'Providential Hospitality.' Analyze the intersection of Lucan narrative, Roman maritime law, and the archaeological evidence of the Melite shipwreck.
Mastering the Steel Giants
Step into the commander's seat and learn how to operate, identify, and outsmart the most famous tanks of World War II. From basic maneuvers to the high-stakes chess of armored warfare, you'll discover why these machines changed history.
Unlock the Heart of Korea
Go beyond the screen and understand the real Korea. Learn to read the clever alphabet, navigate a Seoul street, and discover the ancient stories that shaped modern K-culture.
Five Friends Across the Ocean
Discover how five different countries—Canada, Australia, the UK, the US, and New Zealand—share a common history and a special bond. Explore the traditions, symbols, and stories that make these 'cousin' nations unique yet connected.
Start The Great Race to the Stars today.
Download Tomo, search The Great Race to the Stars, and play your first lesson in under a minute.