Sputnik

After World War II, the US and the Soviet Union both wanted global control. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. Even though it only made a beeping sound around Earth, it impacted the American society greatly. Not only was the Soviet Union ahead of them in terms of the space race, but also they were wary that the Soviet Union can spy and launch a nuclear attack at any given point and time on the US using satellite technology. The US responded by approving funding for US space projects and encouraging students to become engineers. Sputnik orbited Earth for three weeks before its batteries died. Sputnik provided scientists with valuable information such as the density of the upper atmosphere and the propagation of radio signals in the ionosphere.