Asked by justin
Why did the US suffer a loss of confidence following the launch of Sputnik I?
The US knew that they would not be able to build a satellite like Sputnik I.
The US assumed that they would be first into space, before the Soviets.
Sputnik I was a better satellite than the ones the US had launched.
The space race had ended and the United States had lost.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
The correct choice is: "The US assumed that they would be first into space, before the Soviets."
Explanation: Sputnik I's sudden success shattered the expectation that the United States led in rocketry and advanced technology. Americans feared that Soviet orbital capability implied superior long‑range missile and military tech, so the launch produced the "Sputnik crisis" — public anxiety about U.S. technological and educational standing and a political sense of falling behind. The other options are incorrect: the U.S. did not already have a better satellite in orbit, and the launch did not mean the space race was over or that the U.S. knew it could not build a satellite.
Explanation: Sputnik I's sudden success shattered the expectation that the United States led in rocketry and advanced technology. Americans feared that Soviet orbital capability implied superior long‑range missile and military tech, so the launch produced the "Sputnik crisis" — public anxiety about U.S. technological and educational standing and a political sense of falling behind. The other options are incorrect: the U.S. did not already have a better satellite in orbit, and the launch did not mean the space race was over or that the U.S. knew it could not build a satellite.
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