Part 3: Chapter 6, "A New Era of History" and a Media Riot Summary and Analysis

In 1959, the economy was strong and in spite of the huge amount of military spending, there was still a budget surplus. Eisenhower was nearing the end of his second term in office and had the domestic economy under control. The biggest problem his Presidency faced was the Sputnik; it undermined U.S. credibility in the battleground of technological competition. The Eisenhower administration was the first to formulate space policy.

Lyndon B. Johnson was Senate Majority Leader in October 1957. He and his family were at their Texas ranch when news of the Sputnik launch reached them. Johnson looked into the possibility of holding hearings on the subject but he was aware of Eisenhower's popularity. The launch of Sputnik II on...