MVP ARCHIVE NASA | Phase 01-02 The Birth of NASA : Sputnik Shock / The Beginning of the Space Race

The Beginning of the Space Race

In October 1957, the successful launch of Sputnik 1 by the former Soviet Union sent shockwaves throughout the world.

In the United States in particular, a sense of crisis that "the Soviet Union had taken the lead in space development" spread rapidly, and this event came to be known as the Sputnik Shock.
This shock went beyond a mere space race.

Since the rocket technology capable of launching artificial satellites could also be applied to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), it had a major impact on national security, science and technology, and educational policy.

The U.S. government expanded investment in science education and space research, and in 1958, it established NASA as an organization to oversee space development.

Furthermore, full-scale space development began, leading to the Mercury program, Gemini program, and Apollo program, which would eventually lead to the first human moon landing.

The Sputnik Shock was a historical turning point where the success of a single artificial satellite significantly changed the direction of national policy and science and technology, and it was the event that served as the starting point for the modern space race.