History+of+Sputnik

History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball (58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter), weighed only 83.6 kg. or 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race media type="youtube" key="TbAXkWPasYw" height="399" width="461" align="left" The success of Sputniks launch changed a lot of everything for America and the Soviet Union. With the eye opening technical achievenemnt, Sputnik grabed the World’s attention and the American public completely off guard. Jus the massive size was more impressive. In addition, the public feared that the Soviets ability to lanch satellites translated into the capability to launch missiles that could carry nuclear weapons from Europe to the United States. Then the Soviets struck another blow to America; on Nuvemeber 3 Sputnik II was launched carrying a even larger payload and they also put a dog in named Laika. Right after the Sputnik I was launched in October the U.S. Defense Department responded to the political furor by approving funding for another U.S. satellite project. As a simultaneous alternative to Vanguard, Wernher von Braun and his Army Redstone Arsenal team began work on the Explorer project. . On January 31, 1958, the tide changed, when the United States successfully launched Explorer I. This satellite carried a small scientific payload that eventually discovered the magnetic radiation belts around the Earth, named after principal investigator James Van Allen. The Sputnik launch also led directly to the creation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In July 1958, Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act (commonly called the "Space Act"), which created NASA as of October 1, 1958 from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and other government agencies

Chronology of Sputnik/Vanguard/Explorer Events 1957-58
> > > Poem by G. Mennen Williams Oh little Sputnik, flying high With made-in-Moscow beep, You tell the world it's a Commie sky and Uncle Sam's asleep. You say on fairway and on rough The Kremlin knows it all, We hope our golfer knows enough To get us on the ball. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
 * October 4, 1957 USSR: Sputnik 1 (83.6 kg) launched
 * November 3 USSR: Sputnik 2 (508.3 kg), with dog Laika as passenger, launched
 * December 6 USA: Vanguard TV-3 explodes on launch pad
 * January 31, 1958 USA: Explorer 1 (14 kg), America's first satellite, discovers the Van Allen radiation belts
 * February 3 USSR: First try to launch Sputnik 3 fails
 * February 5 USA: A second Vanguard try fails
 * March 5 USA: Explorer 2 fails to orbit
 * March 17 USA: Vanguard 1 (1.47 kg) successfully orbits, establishes the pear-shapedness of the Earth
 * March 26 USA: Explorer 3 orbits, collects radiation and micrometeoroid data
 * April 28 USA: Another Vanguard fails to orbit (third failure)
 * May 15 USSR: Sputnik 3 (1,327 kg) orbits, carrying large array of scientific instruments, but tape recorder fails, so it can't map Van Allen belts
 * May 27 USA Vanguard fails for the fourth time
 * June 26 USA Vanguard fails for fifth time
 * July 26 USA Explorer 4 orbits and maps Van Allen radiation belts for 2 1/2 months
 * August 24 USA Explorer 5 fails to orbit
 * September 26 USA Vanguard fails for the sixth time
 * During the furor that followed //Sputnik 1// and //Sputnik 2//, many people accused the Eisenhower administration of letting the Soviet Union best the United States. The Sputnik crisis reinforced for many people the popular conception that Eisenhower was a smiling incompetent; it was another instance of a "do-nothing," golf-playing president mismanaging events. G. Mennen Williams, the Democratic governor of Michigan, even wrote a poem about it: