Question

When this satellite was launched into orbit by the U.S.S.R. in 1957 Americans were terrified. If a satellite could be put into orbit, then a nuclear bomb could be delivered on the tip of a missile. Many Americans invested in bomb shelters for what they say as an impending nuclear war. The U.S. government created N.A.S.A and starting thinking about how to better educate American students in science. This little satellite started the space race.

Answer 1

The name of the satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union that started the Space Race was known as Sputnik.

This changed American society forever, as the federal government focused on matching/exceeding the space accomplishments of the Soviet Union. Ultimately, this competition would drive the United States to put the first man on the moon before the end of the 1960's.