How Did Sputnik Contribute To The Formation Of NASA

On the fourth of October in 1957, at approximately 2:29 pm, the Soviet Union did something unheard of. They launched the first artificial Earth satellite into a low-Earth orbit. This satellite was Sputnik, the Russian word for traveler. Although the Soviet Union launched this satellite, its impact on the United States was tremendous. For instance, the launch of the Russian Satellite, Sputnik, lead to the creation of NASA. Contributing factors like the U.S.’s continuous strive to come out on top, and their desire to strike a blow towards the Russians led to this theory. In addition to motives the U.S. had, they needed a face for their new space exploration.
As aforementioned, the United States had an ongoing desire to be the best at anything they partook in, which would lead to the formation of NASA. They
For example, “The Soviets had beaten the U.S. in the race to space-and proved that they had a rocket that was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead into the U.S.” (Furness 28) This statement in wording alone demonstrates how the Soviets had “beaten” the U.S.. This proves the U.S. was falling behind in a quick manner, and would not stand to receive second place. In addition to this, the Sputnik sparked a technological revolution. As reported in The Impact of the Sputniks and the First Vanguard, “A steady chant arose; "When are we going to catch up with the Russians?" This chant did not stop until Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon in 1969.” This shows how after the Soviet Union succeeded in sending the first artificial Earth satellite into space, America was desperate to keep up with the rate at which the Russians were progressing. Besides this shift in technology, the U.S.