Reaction in the United States

With the successful orbit of Sputnik 1, the space race between the United States and Soviet Union had begun. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent congratula­tions to the Soviet leadership, but the success of the Sputnik program caused surprise-and dismay-in the United States, especially among space scientists.

О Sputnik missions were launched from Tyura – Tam in the Soviet Union. The launch of Sputnik 2, shown here, took place in November 1957. The spacecraft carried a dog named Laika into space.

Many scientists had attended a science symposium in Washington, D. C., the week before the launch, at which Soviet space scientists had been present. Not a hint had been given that a satellite launch was pending.

The Sputnik program was a blow to U. S. scientific prestige. Sputnik 1 was over fifty times heavier than Vanguard. Its weight, the Americans knew, must have required a powerful launch vehicle and suggested a dangerous technology gap. The Soviets were taking the lead with more powerful space rockets and, presum­ably, bigger bomb-carrying missiles.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created in 1958 to oversee a new program of U. S. space flights. Explorer and Vanguard satellites were successfully launched in 1958, showing that the United States also had a space capability, and further success soon followed.