The space age began on Oct. 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite. On Nov. 3, 1957, the Soviets launched Sputnik II, a larger satellite that carried a dog as a passenger.
Americans were shocked that the Soviets had beaten the United States in technology, the area of its greatest pride. Many Americans also feared that the Soviet Union might have long-range missiles powerful enough to hit North America. In response, President Eisenhower supported two expensive projects that went against his cost-cutting beliefs. One was an all-out effort to quickly catch up to the Soviets in space technology. The other project was to provide federal assistance to schools in support of science education.
The new space program got off to a fast start. On Jan. 31, 1958, the first U.S. satellite, Explorer I, went into orbit.
Excerpt from the "Eisenhower, Dwight David" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999