On the evening of October 4, 1957, American scientists gathered at a reception at the Soviet embassy in Washington with Russian counterparts to celebrate the International Geophysical Year IGY, a year-long international effort to learn more about earth science, with one of the goals being satellite launches by both the United States and the Soviet Union. Around 7pm they were shocked to learn of a Moscow radio station broadcasting news of the world"s first successful launch of an artificial satellite. The Sputnik crisis was begun, and it would have profound impact on American policy and opinion. The immediate impact of...
of Sputnik on American policy and society was enormous. Feelings of fear and anxiety gripped the American public. The unfailing belief in American superiority through technology was shaken, even if it was based on erroneous assumptions. Swift action was taken to reaffirm that superiority and make sure it was never relinquished. The NDEA, NASA, the newfound emphasis on research universities, and the massive new budgets were all part of this reaction. It was so successful that even today, in the face of greatly reduced government research spending, science is still seen as the ward of the federal government.