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Sputnik Declassified
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Program Overview
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Through declassified documents,
archival photos, and interviews with historians, participants, and experts,
NOVA reveals the story behind America's pursuit of a satellite, and what
caused the United States to lag behind Sputnik 1, the first satellite launched
in 1957.
The program:
points
out that the story begins in World War II, with the experiences of two
significant figures: Dwight D. Eisenhower and Wernher von Braun. reports on how Eisenhower's 30-plus
years in the military made avoiding another war his highest priority. chronicles von Braun's childhood dream of pioneering space travel in
order to explore, and reports on how that dream was harnessed by the German
military for its own purposes. discloses that Pearl Harbor showed
Eisenhower the need for having accurate information about the intentions and
capabilities of America's enemies. reviews
Eisenhower's formation of a secret committee to determine the best way to
avoid a surprise attack by the Soviets. discloses the committee's
recommendations to develop reconnaissance satellites to provide reliable
information on threats to the United States. explains the committee's directive to
establish the freedom of space for all nations through a scientific Earth
satellite program, as a means to set a precedent that would allow the spy
satellite Eisenhower wanted. illustrates how in 1687 Isaac Newton first described how firing a cannon from
the top of a mountain could create a satellite. traces Germany's development of the
ballistic missile and reports how the team led by Wernher von Braun tackled
propulsion, cooling, aerodynamic, and guidance challenges. recounts how during World War II the German
V-2 ballistic missiles were mass-produced in an underground factory staffed by
slave laborers from concentration camps. notes how
the 1957–58 International Geophysical Year set the stage for development
of the first satellite. details
the two leading proposals in the U.S. efforts to build a satellite—one by
an army team led by von Braun and another by the Naval Research
Laboratory—and reports on the controversy surrounding the choice, and
secret reasons behind it. chronicles how the Soviets, after experiencing serious delays with their
original satellite development, switched gears and quickly assembled and
successfully launched the beach-ball sized, 184-pound satellite named Sputnik.
Taping Rights: Can be used up to one year after program is recorded off the air.
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