Sputnik and the Americans

The Soviet Union launched its first satellite, Sputnik I, October 4, 1957. The 183-pound, basketball-sized satellite orbited the earth in 98 minutes. The Sputnik launch shocked the Americans who feared that the Soviets might also be capable of sending missiles with nuclear weapons from Europe to America.

The United States, fearful and somewhat embarrassed by this apparent gap in technology, immediately began developing a response, signaling the start of the U.S.-Soviet space race.

On November 3, 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik II, which carried a dog named Laika. In December, America attempted to launch a satellite of its own, called Vanguard, but it exploded shortly after takeoff. On January 31, 1958, things went better with Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite to successfully orbit the earth. In July of that year, Congress passed legislation officially establishing NASA from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and other government agencies. In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared that America should put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, a statement in many ways completely beyond his control. 

On July 20, 1969, NASA’s Apollo 11 mission achieved that goal and made history when astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon.