Final answer:
The false statement is that 'Sputnik was the first Russian astronaut in space' as Sputnik was the first Soviet satellite, not an astronaut.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that is FALSE among those listed is that 'Sputnik was the first Russian astronaut in space.' Sputnik was the first satellite launched into orbit by the Soviet Union in 1957, not an astronaut. This event marked the beginning of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was indeed created in 1958, in direct response to the Soviet Union's success with Sputnik. The Johnson Space Center in Houston is well-known as the home base for NASA's astronaut corps. The space race encapsulates the intense rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to achieve superior spaceflight capability throughout the Cold War era.