Meanwhile, reacting to the launch of Sputnik 1, America gave the Explorer project a go-ahead. January 31, 1958, the US successfully launched Explorer Il, which went on to discover magnetic radiation belts around the Earth.

The launch of Sputnik launch also led to the creation of what has since become a bit of a generic term for all topics space-related: National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- NASA. In July 1958, the United States Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act -- commonly referred to as the Space Act -- which created NASA on October 1, 1958.