1. IGY and Sputnik 15 January 2015

2. Warfare drove science War provided a need for scientific and technical development, leading to government support Vannevar Bush described the bargain in ‘The Endless Frontier’ WWII achievements: RADAR, A-bomb, missiles, computers US policy was a conscious application of the Manhattan Project approach, for state direction of science

3. Hirohima 1945

4. Bikini 1954

6. V-2

8. Space precursors Early pioneers were driven by dreams of space flight Bolsheviks were committed to material growth through science German military developed V-1, V-2 carried bombs to England, invulnerable ‘buzz bombs’ US, USSR captured German experts A-bomb led to Cold War: atomic weapons and ICBMs to deliver them

9. IGY International Geophysical Year (1957) Planned exploration of Earth and Space Each nation announced plans US, USSR proposed launch of a small artificial satellite US plan selected NAS/Navy Vanguard over Army/JPL Explorer (not to interfere with military) USSR plans not considered credible

10. Sputnik Announced after successful launch on 4 Oct 1957 No US vehicle was ready then Immediate alarm and danger! Sputnik had immediate discontinuous effects Free world looked to US for moral superiority of liberal institution and its dominant military Both threatened

11. Sputnik launch after 100-th birthday of Tsiokolvsky, before 40-th anniversary of Russian revolution How had the Russians come so far? Interest in materialist progress; Totalitarian command economy; Effort to surpass technical achievements of capitalist states; technology serves progress! Sputnik was a famous victory expressing much that is good in Russian culture

12. Von Braun had already shown multi-stage rockets capable to launch to orbit in 1954, but not yet demonstrated Solid state, miniaturization important because of limited rocket lift (James van Allen later told his student George Ludwig ‘use transistors’). Reliability also critical, along with magnetic recorders

13. Vanguard Explodes 1957

14. US Response Meet the competition of direct military threat and to free enterprise and political freedom Vanguard launch 6 Dec 1957 failed spectacularly on TV: ‘Kaputnik’ LBJ Senate hearings on space/defense Belatedly, Von Braun and Army were enlisted Successful Explorer I launched 31 Jan 1958, discovered ‘Van Allen Belts’

16. Sputnik changed the Cold War Presaged nuclear parity Ended scientific superiority Highlihted vulnerability New era for military, politics called for total loyalty to prove the superiority of American institutions