Sputnik Mania

Although many Americans are aware that Russia's Sputnik—the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth in 1957—spurred both a fearful public reaction and sparked an immediate acceleration of the U.S. space program, most aren't familiar with the full range of social, political, and scientific ramifications that followed over the next year. The History Channel-aired documentary Sputnik Mania, narrated by Liev Schreiber, combines archival footage and stills, interviews, and dramatic reenactments to tell the tale of Sputnik (and a second Russian mission that sent a dog named Laika into space) within the larger context of the Cold War. But the real emphasis here is on the American response—both on the part of citizens and the government—with special attention paid to President Eisenhower, who felt pressured to match the Russian achievement but eventually reached an agreement with Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev to demilitarize the space race, a decision that led to the merging of U.S. military and civilian programs under the NASA rubric. In addition to Sputnik Mania—which won a 2007 ABC News VideoSource Award from the International Documentary Association—this two-disc set features a fascinating selection of period films, including a 1956 civil defense promo, a DOD “informational” production on Communist propaganda (itself a piece of propaganda), an episode of The Catholic Hour in which Jesuit James McQuade talks about Communist society, an archival short on space dog Laika, and a 1959 newsreel with a segment on U.S. missile production. A nostalgic and valuable look back to a key epoch in U.S.-Soviet relations, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)