oct 1, 1957 - Soviet launching of Sputnik - In 1957, the Soviet Union shocked Americans by developing what was potentially a new method to launch nuclear weapons on enemy nations. In October of that year, the Soviets launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite, into space. Americans worried that if the Soviets could send a satellite into space, nothing could stop them from using that technology to launch nuclear weapons from space to the United States. (Timeline)