Von Braun and about 100 other scientists were brought to America in 1945 after they surrendered. They began to work for the United States Army at Fort Bliss, Texas, where they instructed American soldiers in launching captured V-2s. He became an American citizen in 1955. During the 1950s, von Braun tried to get support for an American space program. When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the United States finally started a space program. At first, the Navy was in charge, but their first Vanguard satellite was destroyed when the rocket blew up on the launch pad in December 1957. The satellite program was given to the army, and the more experienced von Braun was able to start work with the rest of his team. The Redstone rocket put a satellite into orbit on January 31, 1958.