d) Sputnik Launch

The 1957 launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union was a seminal event in the Space Race, leading to the creation of NASA. Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, marked the beginning of the space age and the U.S.-Soviet space rivalry. The success of Sputnik shocked the world and catalyzed the United States to accelerate its own space program, culminating in the Apollo missions to the Moon.