The cold war served as the backdrop of the competition to find out which superpower - the United States or the Soviet Union - could reach outer space first. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, and the space race was officially on. Well-crafted prose, specific biographical sketches, and striking images make ""Sputnik/Explorer I"" an enthralling description of this unforgettable time in modern history.