What was the weight of Sputnik 1 compared to US plans?
Sputnik 1 weighed 83.6 kilograms, which contrasted sharply with US plans to launch a satellite weighing only 14 kilograms.
Questions about Sputnik crisis
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did President Dwight Eisenhower address the American people about Sputnik 1?
President Dwight Eisenhower addressed the American people five days after the launch of Sputnik 1 on the 5th of October 1957.
Which act created NASA in response to the Sputnik crisis?
The National Aeronautics and Space Act signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on the 29th of July 1958 created NASA.
Who said that the United States became a second-rate power when Sputnik orbited Earth?
Science fiction writer and scientist Arthur C. Clarke stated that the day Sputnik orbited around the Earth marked when the US became a second-rate power.
How much funding did colleges receive from government spending in 1953 versus 1960?
In 1953 colleges received $10 million out of $153 million total government spending, but combined funding grew almost six-fold by 1960 due to the NDEA.