Sputnik crisis
UNITED STATES RESPONSE TO THE LAUNCH OF SPUTNIK
Sputnik shock; Sputnik moment; Sputnik Shock; Sputnik Crisis; Sputnik panic
The Sputnik crisis was a period of public fear and anxiety in Western nations about the perceived technological gap between the United States and Soviet Union caused by the Soviets' launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. The crisis was a significant event in the Cold War that triggered the creation of NASA and the Space Race between the two superpowers.