How did the United States respond in relation to Sputnik?
The US government’s reaction to Sputnik’s launch was subdued. Its spy planes had been monitoring Soviet developments, and it’s likely they knew a launch was imminent. “So far as the satellite itself is concerned, that does not raise my apprehensions—not one iota,” declared Dwight Eisenhower, US president at the time.
Which act was a response to the Soviet launch of Sputnik?
Sputnik Spurs Passage of the National Defense Education Act. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union shocked the people of the United States by successfully launching the first earth-orbiting satellite, Sputnik.
Why was the launching of Sputnik so influential to US history?
Sputnik made it possible to test satellite pressurisation, to study radio wave transmission and the density of the atmosphere, and allowed scientists to learn how to track objects in orbit. Sputnik 1 orbited Earth every 96 minutes, and the fact that it passed over the USA seven times a day worried many Americans.
What was the purpose of Sputnik?
Sputnik’s official designation was “PS-1” or “Elementary Satellite 1” in Russian. The satellite was launched from what is now called the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 4, 1957. The 184.3-pound (83.6 kg) craft’s primary function was to place a radio transmitter into orbit around the Earth.
Who was the president of the United States during the Sputnik launch?
President Eisenhower
President Eisenhower and some of his advisors, when they realized the significance of the Soviet achievement, met to discuss the alarming developments. A memo of that meeting preserved the initial reactions of those present. The launch of Sputnik gave the Soviet Union an enormous boost in world respect and influence.
Can you see Sputnik from Earth?
Though Sputnik 1 was small, it was quite reflective and therefore visible from Earth through a pair of binoculars (and perhaps even with the naked eye, if you had good vision and knew exactly where to look).