Fifty years ago, on October 4, 1957, the Space Age began with the launch of Sputnik 1—the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. The Soviet feat sent a chill through the hearts of Americans, and ignited a space race between the two nations that would not end until nearly 12 years later with Apollo 11's successful Moon landing.

Although Sputnik was the beginning of a series of Soviet "firsts" in space, it ultimately spurred America to greater glory. There are many NASA veterans, for instance, who believe the nation would never have committed itself to the Moon landings without the need to catch up, and overtake the Russians in space.

Veteran aerospace writer Ted Spitzmiller takes an in-depth look at the legacy of Sputnik in the current issue of LAUNCH. You can also read it here: