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The World's First Satellite

The launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957 sends a shockwave through America and the world, signaling the beginning of a new era, the Space Age.
running time 7:01

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Developing the Rocket

In Nazi Germany, 15 years before Sputnik, engineer Wernher von Braun is at work developing the V-2, the world's first ballistic missile—and he is already thinking about getting a satellite into space.
running time 9:55

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Freedom of Space

After the war, members of von Braun's team are brought to America and assigned to build a rocket for the U.S. Army, while President Eisenhower makes plans to launch a scientific satellite, with the ultimate goal of spying on the Soviets.
running time 8:39

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Who Will Be First?

The race to be first into space is on, not just between the Soviets and the U.S., but between two American teams: a partnership of von Braun's team and JPL, and their competitor, the Naval Research Lab.
running time 7:46

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Sputnik

Led by engineer Sergei Korolev, the Soviets launch Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. Recently declassified documents show that President Eisenhower is neither surprised nor alarmed.
running time 6:43

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The Space Race

Four months after Sputnik, the von Braun/JPL team launches Explorer 1, America's first satellite, into orbit. Eisenhower forms NASA, and two years later, in utmost secrecy, the U.S. launches Corona, the first successful spy satellite.
running time 9:18

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