Space would become another dramatic battleground of the Cold War. On October 4, 1957, a Soviet R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile launched Sputnik into Earth’s orbit. Sputnik, which means “traveler” in Russian, was the world’s first artificial satellite and the first man-made object in space. The Americans feared spying and weapons in space.
The U.S. quickly realized that they also needed to launch their own rockets, and in 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer I. Thus, the Space Race began.
The U.S. quickly realized that they also needed to launch their own rockets, and in 1958, the U.S. launched its own satellite, Explorer I. Thus, the Space Race began.
The Space Race was more than just a race to the moon. In the height of the Cold War, the U.S. needed to prove their technological dominance as a world superpower. With the creation of NASA and the support of research and technology, the U.S. has inspired a new generation of scientists and explorers. The science discovered during the period of space exploration is the basis and foundation of much of the technology we use daily. Because of the first satellite, Sputnik, we now have wireless internet, satellite TV, cell phones, and GPS.