October 25, 1957
AMERICAN RESPONSE: New York, 24 – The announcement of a number of successful launches of rockets and guided missiles by American scientists has been described here as marking the end of a brief period of humiliation that has plagued the USA due to the failure of previous rocket launches and the continuing orbit of the Earth by a Russian satellite. The Americans have regained the advantage because the latest rocket reached a distance that not even the Sputnik has reached – nor any Russian rocket. According to official announcements from the US Defense Department and a statement by US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the American rocket was launched from Eniwetok in the Pacific Ocean, carried aloft by a very large balloon for an initial boost in altitude. It is believed to have reached over 1,000 miles into space, transmitting signals that are now being examined to ascertain the exact height it reached. If the 1,000-mile height is confirmed, it will be a triumph for the Americans. Today another missile was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and reached its target 1,500 miles away in the Atlantic Ocean between South America and Africa.
