U. S. Satellite Competition

ife within the U. S. space program changed dramatically following the launch of the first Sputnik. The public surprise and outcry following failure of the United States to be first in space energized everyone in a way that no other event short of a war could have done. Their feat vividly demonstrated that the Soviets were capable of launching nuclear weapons over intercontinental distances. The realization that the Soviets really were ahead of us in developing large, long-range missiles resulted in a strong U. S. reaction, and the cold war race for rocket supremacy built to a feverish pitch. The pressure for the United States to get a satellite into space mounted, only adding to the frustrations of the Vanguard personnel, who were having problems in bringing their launch vehicle to a state of readiness.

No account of the early U. S. satellite program would be complete without stepping back in time to examine the fierce competition for developing the U. S. International Geophysical Year (IGY) satellite launcher, the decision to go with the Vanguard proposal, and the persistent effort to keep a losing proposal alive.