> every metric

Sure, except:

   - First spacecraft to detect/study the Van Allen belt
   - First solar-powered satellite
   - First polar-orbit satellite
   - First photograph of Earth from orbit
   - First satellite recovered from orbit
   - First spy photos from space
   - First aerial recovery of an object returning from orbit
   - First great ape in space
   - First pilot-controlled space flight
   - First successful planetary flyby (Venus)
   - First spaceplane
   - First reusable piloted spacecraft
   - First geosynchronous satellite
   - First geostationary satellite
   - First piloted spacecraft orbit change
   - First successful Mars flyby mission
   - First rendezvous of manned spacecraft
   - First spacecraft docking
   - First direct-ascent (first orbit) rendezvous
   - First (and only) human orbit of the Moon
   - First (and only) humans to land on the Moon
   - First spacecraft to orbit another planet (Mars)
   - First spacecraft sent on solar escape trajectory
   - First spacecraft to enter the asteroid belt
   - First Jupiter flyby
   - First Mercury flyby
   - First Saturn flyby
   - First untethered spacewalk
   - First Uranus flyby
   - First Neptune flyby
   - First Pluto flyby

So, yeah, vanity.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Space_Race
   https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/o51254593.pdf
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_artificial_satellites_and_space_probes
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_1

Good points, the race does seem closer than I was aware.

What was the most useful application of early space launches? Corona observation satellites were operating since 1959. The TRANSIT positioning system was operating with a constellation of 5 satellites from 1960.

Who was focused on vanity projects?

They beat us by canibalizing their society. It works for a time, but eventually you have a revolution on your hands.

JFK really moved the goalpost on that one.