On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, The Gerald Ford Library hosted author Yanek Mieczkowski, who spoke about his new book, Eisenhower's Sputnik Moment: The Race for Space and World Prestige. The book captures the critical Cold War moment in 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first satellite. Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency suddenly changed. Mieczkowski took the audience through a comprehensive story of Eisenhower's reaction, including his refusal to panic. Ultimately the President guided America's space program, although in a sharp political conflict with John Kennedy, over sending men to the moon and improving America's global prestige.
