The ascent of Artemis II into deep space brings back the old challenge that existed between the two competing world powers that never saw eye to eye.
It’s the extent to which things matter and the sacrifices involved in doing it.
In recent years many nations have entered a much more advanced space race, leading to a diversification in such competing fields of endeavour as these, and yet there’s a niggling suspicion it’s still true that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks.
America is a leader of the free world and behind technology uses it can ship to other countries, as well as use to their maximum advantage.
By example, space travel is not so much a frontier now as a forte that it can hold up as an example of its can do attitude.
Russia, meanwhile, is stockpiling its power by launching out on missions it alone identifies and defines, muzzling attempts at diplomacy to challenge peace anywhere it chooses to.
This bolsters its feelings of pride, notching up kudos points at home for the journey, at least.
But the stakes are high, and such divergent paths are not easy to put together. The determination of what either does next is in psychic territory as far as respective plans are, but there has been a long road to this point.
There are hints to some successes, either way, but these mean little if they cannot be vocalised and used to ultimate advantage.
America and Russia come together over these such things, however, and in years to come it will be clear what new advantage there is. The results may be the precursor to the same times as before.