The event that resulted in the creation of NASA was the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. Sputnik was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, and its launch was a major turning point in the Cold War. It demonstrated the Soviet Union's technological prowess and convinced many Americans that the United States was falling behind in the space race. In response, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, creating NASA. NASA's mission was to "conduct aeronautical and space activities" and to "extend human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space."