#Space Sputnik was the Soviet contribution to the International Geophysical Year, which coordinated the nations of the world to conduct research into the geology and physics of Earth. Both the US and USSR had agreed to launch the world's first artificial satellites to study the planet.
For those paying attention to the IGY, Sputnik was no surprise. But for the uninformed American public, it was a metaphor for the Soviet nuclear threat because Sputnik was launched by an ICBM. (3/x)
#Space There was no panic at first but, as the American media cranked up the hysteria, Khrushchev realized there was propaganda value in turning up the volume so he started making outlandish statements to embarrass the American public. Ike tried to convince the nation there was nothing to worry about it, but failed. (4/x)
#Space This is the Orlando Evening Star's front page, Monday October 7, 1957. The #Sputnik fallout has begun. The lead story from #AP blames the Pentagon for not having used von Braun's Army Jupiter C missile to launch a satellite first.
The Eisenhower administration had rejected the Jupiter C in favor of a civilian rocket, part of a new project called Vanguard. Using a military rocket for the civilian IGY was thought to appear belligerent. The Soviets had no problem using an ICBM. (6/6)
