Statement by the President Announcing the Launching of an Atlas ICBM Earth Satellite.
December 18, 1958
UNDER THE AUSPICES of the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense, a powerful, high-performance Atlas ICBM vehicle was launched into orbit from the Atlantic Missile Range at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 6:02 p.m. today. The entire vehicle is in orbit.
This launching constitutes a distinct step forward in space operations. The success opens new opportunities to the United States and all mankind for activities in outer space.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Statement by the President Announcing the Launching of an Atlas ICBM Earth Satellite. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/234436