How did President Eisenhower react when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first space satellite?

Democrats scorched the Republican administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower for allowing the United States to fall so far behind the communists. Eisenhower responded by speeding up the U. S. space program, which resulted in the launching of the satellite Explorer I on January 31, 1958. The "space race" had begun.

He approved the creation of a U. S. space program known as NASA.