In the early 1960s, America and the Soviet Union were involved in the Space Race. This started when the Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite, in 1957. Later, President John F. Kennedy declared in a speech that by the end of 1969, America would put a man on the moon. From that moment on, American society dedicated efforts to reach that goal. Schools increased math and science programs. Businesses spent money on aerodynamics and space research. Factories increased production to provide materials to NASA, so it could build test rockets. These efforts motivated American youths to explore amateur rocketry. One such youth was Homer Hickam, the son of a coal miner. He began a rocket club with friends from high school, and their discoveries in rocketry attracted some attention. As a result of his designs in high school, Homer won several science contests and an academic scholarship to study at Virginia Tech. After graduating, he served as an officer in Vietnam and then went to work for NASA in 1981. He worked on such projects as the Hubble Space Telescope. 20
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