Sputnik was about the size of a microwave oven, but it caused fear and awe in America because it had been launched by our enemies, the Soviets. Our next guest, journalist Jay Barbree, remembers the day. In fact, it’s so captured his imagination, he was inspired to make outer space his beat.

2A – What was the most significant result of the 1957 launch of Sputnik? A space race between the United States and the Soviet Union began. 2B – Which of the following was a direct result of the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1? The U.S. government founded a federal agency dedicated to space exploration.

How did the United States react to the Soviet Union’s successful launch of Sputnik in 1957? It passed legislation providing support for students in math, foreign languages, science, and technology. It became increasingly available to veterans, the middle class, and African Americans.

The success of Sputnik had a major impact on the Cold War and the United States. Fear that they had fallen behind led U.S. policymakers to accelerate space and weapons programs.

What was the major impact of the launch of Sputnik I on the United States? The United States withdrew from the space race because it could not beat the Soviets. The United States took steps to catch up and surpass the Soviets in the space race. The United States created the NASA law to fund math and science education.

The United States’ much-hyped first attempt at launching a satellite into orbit failed on December 6, 1957, ending in an explosion. The fuel tanks then ruptured and exploded, destroying the rocket, severely damaging the launch pad, and making the 3 lb satellite unusable.

The Space Race spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites. It prompted competitive countries to send unmanned space probes to the Moon, Venus and Mars. It also made possible human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and to the Moon.

Politically, Sputnik created a perception of American weakness, complacency, and a “missile gap,” which led to bitter accusations, resignations of key military figures, and contributed to the election of John F. Kennedy, who emphasized the space gap and the role of the Eisenhower-Nixon administration in creating it.

On October 4 = Soviets launch Sputnik. Result: Americans feared the implications of the first man-made satellite orbiting above the Earth. The impact of Sputnik on the United States and the world was enormous and unprecedented.

It revitalized McCarthyism. It led to the creation of NASA. It ended U.S. involvement in the Korean War. It prompted the development of the hydrogen bomb.

During the Cold War the United States and the Soviet Union engaged a competition to see who had the best technology in space. This included such events as who could put the first manned spacecraft into orbit and who would be the first to walk on the Moon.

To help discourage Soviet communist expansion, the United States built more atomic weaponry. But in 1949, the Soviets tested their own atomic bomb, and the Cold War nuclear arms race was on.

It’s a believable story. With the launch of the space race, the U.S. flings itself into a flurry of activity, training more scientists and engineers and creating jobs in technology and manufacturing, ultimately boosting the nation’s prosperity.

“In this new era of human spaceflight, NASA is contributing to economies locally and nationally, fueling growth in industries that will define the future, and supporting tens of thousands of new jobs in America,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement.

Space became more a part of American culture with more people becoming aware of space and exposed to its features. Since so many resources were being allocated to the effort by the government, it was inevitable for the topic to enter daily conversation and find its way into the media and consumer goods.