On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched a small metal ball into space. It was called Sputnik, which means "traveling companion" in Russian. Sputnik was only 23 inches wide, about the size of a beach ball. It weighed 184 pounds. Four thin antennas stuck out from its body. As it orbited Earth, it sent out a steady beep-beep-beep signal. Anyone with a radio could hear it. The launch shocked the United States. America and the Soviet Union were in a rivalry called the Cold War. Both countries wanted to prove they were stronger. When the Soviets reached space first, Americans felt like they were falling behind. President Eisenhower quickly created NASA, the space agency that still runs today. Scientists raced to catch up. The United States launched its own satellite, Explorer 1, just four months later. Sputnik itself burned up in the atmosphere after three months. But the competition it started, called the Space Race, led to moon landings, space stations, and satellites that now guide our phones and weather reports. One small beeping ball changed history.