I&#x27;m not sure it&#x27;s helpful to rattle-off number of fatalities when discussing whose space program might have been more &#x27;dangerous&#x27;.  Both &#x27;sides&#x27; were running at break-neck speed to achieve the most the first. Both were using essentially the same technology in the same manner.  Who died when was more a case of chance than anything systematic to either the USA or USSR&#x27;s philosophy.<p>The Apollo program killed three astronauts before they even left the pad.  Apollo 13 was a failure that very nearly killed three more.  And we&#x27;ll not mention STS.<p>But all that pales into insignificance compared to the number of test-pilots who quietly died in the advancement of aviation in the same era.  That&#x27;s how Yuri Gagarin died, for example.