Next on NOVA: "Sputnik Declassified"

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/

Tuesday, September 30 at 8 p.m.

(Check your local listings as dates and times may vary.)

On October 4, 1957, the Space Age dawned with the red hue of the
Communist flag when the Soviet Union launched the first artificial
satellite. Sputnik I stunned the world and spurred a surge in
science education and innovation that changed our world forever. But
was Sputnik I really a shock to America's leaders, and how close was
the U.S. to getting into space first? In "Sputnik Declassified" NOVA
draws on previously classified documents to tell the real story
behind the opening chapter in the space race.

Here's what you'll find on the companion Web site:

Space Race Time Line
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/timeline.html
Examine turning points in the Cold War competition to dominate
space.

Build a Rocket
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/v2.html
Learn more about how the innovative German V-2 rocket worked by
assembling it yourself.

A Tainted Legacy
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/vonbraun.html
How should Wernher von Braun be remembered--as a Nazi engineer
or a space visionary?

What Satellites See
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/satellite.html
Images from near-Earth orbit can tell us a lot about our world.

A Blow to the Nation
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/nation.html
The launch of Sputnik came as a shock to Americans long
accustomed to being number one.

Also, Links & Books, the Teacher's Guide, the program transcript,
and more:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sputnik/