How did the Soviet Union secure a lasting legacy in human spaceflight despite failing to reach the Moon?

By accumulating unique experience in keeping humans alive in space for extended periods

Although the Soviet Union lost the Moon race due to the N1 rocket failures, their strategic pivot toward orbital mastery provided a different, lasting technological achievement. By channeling resources into developing infrastructure like the Salyut and Mir space stations, they became the world leader in long-duration spaceflight. This focus allowed them to accumulate invaluable, unique expertise concerning the physiology and engineering challenges associated with keeping human crews alive and productive in space over extended durations, an area where the West initially lacked comparable experience.