Complex sentence: The Soviet Union had also been more willing than the United States to embark on long-term programs, such as the Salyut and Mir space station programs, and increased their investment in space programs throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Split into simpler sentences: The Soviet Union had also been more willing than the United States to embark on long-term programs, such as the Salyut and Mir space station programs. Unlike the United States, the Soviet Union actually increased their investment in space programs through out the 1970s and 1980s.