I remember the headline in the NEWARK EVENING NEWS, SPUTNIK IN ORBIT, and I remember going outside to see it go over. I was only 9 years old, but I think the extent of panic and humiliation in the USA is exaggerated in retrospect. It was a matter of being beaten out by an underdog, but the competition had already been initiated by the drive for rockets suitable for ICBMs. Things were moving fast in those days.
Oops, I screwed up. My dimensions must have been for a later version, not #1.
BUT, it still weighed as much as Michelle’s butt. ;>)
I remember the excitement of those times.
I believe that the most important achievement of the space program back then, was the creation of dreams for a generation. Obama would like to kill those dreams.