Sputnik Declassified 2007
Distributed by WGBH Boston, 125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134; 617-300-2000
Produced by Rushmore DeNooyer and Kirk Wolfinger
Directed by Alan Ritsko
DVD, color, 56 min.
Jr. High - Adult
American Studies, History, International Relations, Military Studies, Science, Technology
Date Entered: 03/07/2008
Reviewed by Brad Eden, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication, University of California, Santa BarbaraThis film focuses on the beginning of the space race between the United States and Russia, using recently declassified documents, interviews, and sources to tell the story. The October 4, 1957 launch of Sputnik by the Russians may have been a surprise to U.S. government leaders, but only in the fact that they did not seriously consider all of the political consequences. President Eisenhower, with Wernher von Braun as leader of the U.S. rocket team, already had the capability to launch a satellite to spy on the Russians a year ahead of Sputnik, but decided not to escalate the political situation. Once Sputnik was launched, however, and with the failure of the first U.S. satellite rocket by von Braun's rivals, it was inevitable that von Braun would be given full support for his rocket designs and research, culminating in the formation of NASA and ultimately the Apollo missions.
There are many interesting features in this DVD, including printable materials for educators. For those wishing to view a concise, up-to-date history of how the space race began, this DVD is highly recommended.