Answer: The Soviet Union launched the satellite, Sputnik 1.
Context/details:
The Sputnik satellite was sent into orbit by the USSR on October 4, 1957. The Soviets announced its mission as a scientific one, to study the solar system. In the Cold War atmosphere, of course, Americans were wary of what other motives the USSR might have had. The Soviets launched Sputnik 2 in November, 1957, with a dog on board.
The USA took steps to catch up and surpass the Soviets in the space race. The US scrambled to get its own satellite program operational, launching the first US satellite, Explorer, on January 1, 1958. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded in July, 1958, to continue the United States' advance in space technology.
The United States also boosted funding for science education and education in general. Congress passed the National Defense Education Act, which was signed into law by President Eisenhower in September, 1958. As the <em>Harvard Gazette </em>reported in the article, "How Sputnik Changed US Education" (October 11, 2007), the National Defense Education Act "increased funding for education at all levels, including low-interest student loans to college students, with the focus on scientific and technical education."
