What event in the 1950s made eisenhower create NASA and late Kennedy to move lots funds into the space race?

The launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in October 1957 was a pivotal event that prompted President Eisenhower to establish NASA in response to perceived threats in the space race. This event demonstrated Soviet technological superiority and sparked fears about national security and scientific advancement. In the following years, President Kennedy significantly increased funding for space exploration to assert American leadership in technology and to regain an edge in the Cold War competition, culminating in his famous goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the 1960s.