As the Cold War passes from the realm of current events into his- tory, Sputnik remains one of its most enduring landmarks. The Soviet launch of the world's first artificial earth satellite created a crisis in confidence for the American people. How could a backward Commu- nist nation beat the United States into space? Many citizens reacted by questioning the vitality of an entire way of life, expressing concern that Sputnik signaled the weakness of American science, the failure of American schools, and the complacency of American political lead- ership. Worst of all, they feared that the Soviet Union had gained a lead in developing long-range missiles, thereby threatening the very security of the United States in the nuclear age.