Preview

Sputnik's Effect on the United States

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1422 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sputnik's Effect on the United States
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union ushered in the Space Age when it stunned the world by launching the first satellite into space orbit. Dubbed Sputnik, meaning "companion", the tiny satellite orbited the earth every ninety-six minutes. Democratic Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson described the effect of the launch of Sputnik had on America as a "second Pearl Harbor"(Burns). Appearing akin to a small shooting star, Sputnik shot across the night sky to the astonishment of American onlookers. Sputnik emitted a radio signal with a faint, distinct "beep-beep" to aid the Soviets in determining the satellites location and progress (Mellberg 26). This otherwise harmless radio signal represented an alarm bell to the Americans, and for the first time the United States was technologically behind their Communist counterparts. During 1952 the International Council of Scientific Unions decided to officially designate July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958, as the International Geophysical Year (IGY). This period was designated because scientists knew that solar activity would be at a point that would allow for mapping of the Earth 's surface. Both the Soviet Union and the United States set plans in place to launch artificial satellites into space during this period. In anticipation for the IGY the White House formally announced the United States plans to launch an earth-orbiting satellite in July, 1955. In September, 1955, Vanguard, developed by the Naval Research Laboratory was officially chosen to represent the United States during the IGY. As a possible alternative to Project Vanguard, Wernher Von Braun and his team dubbed the "Redstone Arsenal" began work on the Explorer project after receiving funding from the Department of Defense after the launch of Sputnik (Garber). In December, 1957, the Department of Defense launched a Vanguard rocket that carried a satellite payload. This first launch resulted in a failure on the launch pad and the United States was lambasted by


Cited: Burns, Alexander. The Horror of Sputnik—and the Real Good It Did. 5 Oct. 2005. AmericanHeritage.com. 9 Mar. 2006. Fruend, Charles Paul. "Sphere of influence: Sputnik 's lingering effect." Reason. 1 (2002): 62. Garber, Steve. Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age. 21 Feb. 2003. NASA. 16 Feb. 2006 Mellberg, William. Moon Missions: man kind 's first voyages. Plymouth, MI: Plymouth Press, Ltd. "The Birth of NASA: November 3, 1957-October 1, 1958." NASA. 16 Apr. 2002. .
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Soviet Space Race Compared to Animal Farm
    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Soviet Space Race Compared to Animal Farm

    By 1959 the U.S. began to grow more sure that the Soviets would be the first to send someone into space and they were right. As the Soviet flight technology was…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Sputnik During The Space Race
    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page

    Sputnik During The Space Race

    How did Americans react to the launch of Sputnik I and the Soviet Union during the space race? On October 4, 1957, America’s fears went into orbit as the Soviet Union launched its first artificial Earth satellite into space. This was quickly followed by Sputnik II, famously containing a canine passenger, Laika, and was then dramatically surpassed by the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. The US, in contrast, failed to respond effectively taking several attempts before launching its own…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Space Race Project 1

    • 542 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Space Race Project 1

    It was through that the United States was no longer safe behind its ocean barriers. The Soviet Union could launch missiles directly on United States. The Space Race    April 12, 1961 the Soviets launch another satellite, Sputnik 2. This time they were able to put a dog in orbit around the earth.…

    • 542 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Vanguard Project History
    • 2257 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Vanguard Project History

    Lyndon B. Johnson, Senate preparedness Subcommittee chairman, immediately began a “full, complete, and exhaustive inquiry into the state of the nation’s satellite and missile efforts (Lyndon B. Johnson quoted in Vanguard – A History).” The Vanguard project had received ultimate priority in military initiatives and, as a result, received a needed boost in men, materials, and money. This drastic increase in effort on the part of everyone involved had culminated in greater testing and development of Vanguard project rockets. Despite multiple failures throughout 1957 and 1958, their efforts culminated in a successful launch on January 31st, 1958. Explorer 1 left the launch pad at cape Canaveral and, at last, the United States had proven their worth in space exploration (Office of the Historian). Despite their eventual success, the political ramifications of “losing” the first milestone of the space race were lasting. The United States had developed newfound conviction in the space race, now aware of their adversaries’ potential; additionally, the creation of NASA had cemented space exploration’s place in the US government and budget. The United States’ delayed reaction, only prioritizing space exploration after the Soviet display of their technology, highlighted the competitive nature of the nation. Had the Soviets not succeeded…

    • 2257 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did The Post Nuclear War Affect American Culture In The 1960s
    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Did The Post Nuclear War Affect American Culture In The 1960s

    By 1960 fears of nuclear war, Soviet advances in space exploration and technology, And a persistent recession at home. Generally a 1960 the American public have lost their confidence and seemed to have lost their way as well. This sense of lacking is something that John F Kennedy made Central to his 1960 campaign for president. By October 1957 Sputnik, a Soviet satellite was launched. One month later the Soviets launched another satellite carrying a small dog, the first living creature to to leave the Earth's atmosphere. Abroad these Soviet advances seemed to erode America's status and the value of American capitalism. Thirdly Soviet success with the intercontinental ballistic missiles, (ICBM), negatively affected American national pride as well as created fear that the Soviets…

    • 636 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Space Race Research Paper
    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Space Race Research Paper

    That same year President Eisenhower signed the public order which created the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA). After the creation of NASA the Space Race would continue to heat up when the Soviet space program launched Luna 2 which was the first space probe to hit the moon. As if that accomplishment wasn’t enough the Soviet continued to soar forward in Space exploration being the first country to send the first person to orbit the Earth. This was done so in a capsule-like spacecraft known as Vostok 1. The United States could not just sit back and be out done, so with much effort they build a smaller, cone-shaped capsule that was found to be far lighter than Vostok. This capsule would be used to test and conduct Project Mercury, an American name for the efforts to send a man into space. The U.S. used chimpanzees to test the space craft, and made one final test in March of 1961. On May 5, 1961 Alan Shepard became the first American in space. Later that same month President John F. Kennedy decided to make a bold and powerful statement which would claim that the U.S. would land…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Apollo Program History
    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Apollo Program History

    Amidst the shortcoming of the Cold War, the goal of the 1960’s was “to go above and beyond” in space exploration by successfully landing a man on the moon, which would serve as a gambit to conceivably lead the United States to victory. Before astronauts ventured beyond the earth, scientists had to assess the space environment and the hazards of human exploration. Soon after President John F. Kennedy assumed office in January of 1961, the space race was undoubtedly underway, and the United State’s primary focus was landing a man on the moon--hence, the Apollo Program. These Apollo Missions are significant in that America received technical credibility and hasted the end of the Cold War in our favor. Also, Carole Stott, a long-time astronomer…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Supremacy In The Space Race
    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page

    Supremacy In The Space Race

    The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was one of the greatest rivalries of the 20th century. From 1955 to 1972, these two superpowers battled each other for supremacy in space flight technologies, with each country launching multiple satellites and manned missions into space. Their ultimate goal was to put a man on the moon. The 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviets had an immense effect on the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The launch proved that Eisenhower lacked leadership skills. He could not prove to his fellow Republicans in congress that space travel should be a top priority of the country. Democrats believed that not enough funding had gone into national defense and that the Soviet satellite…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How Did Sputnik Contribute To The Changes In American Education
    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page

    How Did Sputnik Contribute To The Changes In American Education

    In 1957, the Soviet Union launched a small satellite called Sputnik that ultimately led to changes in American education. The launch of Sputnik brought to light the importance of math and science education. The following year, Congress passed the National Defense Education Act, which provided scholarships and fellowships to prospective mathematicians and scientists. This was the start of many future changes for education in the United States. Over twenty-five years later, a commission appointed by the Reagan administration released a report of the strengths and weaknesses of the American education system, A Nation at Risk. According to the report, American schools were getting worse: test scores were falling, millions of Americans were illiterate,…

    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Space Race: Competition Between The United States And The Soviet Union
    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Space Race: Competition Between The United States And The Soviet Union

    Russia took the announcement from the US as a contest to see who would accomplish the task first. In October 1957, Russia successfully launched the first satellite into orbit. It was named ‘Sputnik’, and came as a surprise for the USA, who still saw Russia as the enemy. In November that same year, Russia launched ‘Sputnik II’ into orbit. This satellite was different than the first; it contained a living creature – a dog named Laika.…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Space Race On The Cold War And Following Decadess
    • 1986 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Space Race On The Cold War And Following Decadess

    The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the 1950’s and 60’s was by far a major landmark in the history of technological achievements for mankind and could, at the time, be considered the pinnacle of human ingenuity. With this in mind, we must understand that the Cold War was a fragile time period full of a plethora of exploration into various scientific fields and political conflict as we pushed the limits of mankind’s inventiveness and the measure of our hatred when we challenged the communist menace, the Soviet…

    • 1986 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    America's Impact On The Space Race
    • 1751 Words
    • 8 Pages

    America's Impact On The Space Race

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was founded during the 1957 to 1975 space race between the Soviet Union and United States and soon began changing society with the world's first moon landing. A crisis emerged in America after “the successful launch of the 183-pound Sputnik I satellite into orbit by the Soviet Union, followed by the half-ton Sputnik II on November 3, which carried a live dog into orbit” (Spradley). By sending a dog into orbit, the Soviet Union’s intentions of sending humans into orbit became apparent. Not only were Americans concerned about falling behind in modern technology, but they feared that the Soviets were capable of building missiles that could carry nuclear weapons to the United States. After WWII ended, German Scientists were brought to America to help build a rocket.…

    • 1751 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Cosmetology
    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Cosmetology

    To begin, my name is Michelle Fenstermacher and I am in Cosmetology. Which is a large and creative field that I chose to become a part of at ICTC. I chose to attend ICTC due to myself liking to help others and make people look and feel their personal best. I can help people look and feel beautiful by doing their hair, nails, and give them a cuter style. If you want me to make you look the hottest you have ever been before, then come and let me do your hair, nails or give you a cuter style to leave the salon with.…

    • 685 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Space Race
    • 768 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Space Race

    On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first satellite into space, The Sputnik I. This was detrimental to the U.S. because it meant that they were losing the space race. The Soviets showed the U.S. that they now had the capability to launch satellites and nuclear warheads into space. America quickly answered back with the launch of Explorer I, which was the first American made satellite to orbit around Earth. This achievement by the U.S. led Eisenhower to form the National Aeronautics and Space Admission (NASA). The organization was founded to study and build space exploration vehicles and scientific experiments. Soon after the formation of NASA, the Soviets launched the first man into the orbit of Earth, heating up the space race. Nearly a month later, NASA launched Alan Shepard into space, making him the second man to exit Earth’s atmosphere.…

    • 768 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    ENG 122 Final Paper
    • 3007 Words
    • 9 Pages

    ENG 122 Final Paper

    According to Steven J. Dick (2008) in The Birth of NASA, Russia’s launch of the Sputnik satellite in October of 1957 was a source of embarrassment for America. America saw itself as a “leader in aeronautical and space science and technology” and Russia beating them to space was a slap in the face. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was born July 29, 1958, at the direction of President Eisenhower. At its outset, some of NASA’s objectives included providing national defense agencies with discoveries that would aid in national defense, reestablishing America as the preeminent technological leader of the world and peaceful cooperation between the U.S. and other nations in pursuit of shared goals (para1-9). Today, with the shuttle program gone, and with NASA’s budget getting ever smaller, these original mandates are getting more and more difficult to fulfill. As a result, America is in danger of losing its position as the preeminent leader in space exploration and technological advancement. This paper will be an examination of reasons why the U.S. should continue to fund space exploration despite other problems in the world today.…

    • 3007 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics