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The United States' fears of Sputnik 1 were based on the premise of a Soviet-American pending missile gap. The reasoning went that if the Soviets could launch Sputnik into orbit, the technological threshold for intercontinental ballistic missiles laden with nuclear warheads was now crossed. However, and ultimately a missile gap never came to exist between the two powers suggesting American paranoia.

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9y ago
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11y ago

Because Sputnik was the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. The United States had no idea if Sputnik had ucleur capabilities. Americans built bomb shelters and hid in them every time they saw the satellite flashing in the sky. We are used to seeing them, but they weren't. Also, Sputnik was launched at the Begining of the Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union. The US felt threatened that they were being passed up.

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9y ago

Americans were very fearful the day the satellite Soutnik was launched. They were fearful because the Soviet Union launched Sputnik and they were Americans enemies.

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15y ago

It was so large that it was capable of dropping a hydrogen bomb.

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14y ago

The US Government thought that Sputnik was large enough to have a nuclear weapon attached to it. And that scared them because they thought the USSR would be able to bomb them at any time

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13y ago

Is an H-bomb coming on the next one? That was the big worry of the time.

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Q: Why were Americans fearful when Sputnik was launched?
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Which country launched sputnik and in what year?

The first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, was launched by the USSR (Russia) in 1957. Following its launch on October 4, Russia launched Sputnik 2 on November 3. Sputnik 3 was not launched until May, 1958 following the US Explorer and Vanguard satellites in January and March.


Which satellites launched into space after Sputnik?

Sputnik I, launched on October 4, 1957, was the first man-made object to successfully achieve Earth orbit.It was followed by Sputnik II on Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957.The first US satelllite was Explorer I, launched on January 31, 1958.


What was the name of the second artificial satellite to be launched?

The first artificial satellite was Sputnik I, launched by the Soviet Union on the 4th of October 1957


What was the first satellite to be launched into space by any country?

Sputnik 1, launched by the USSR (Russia) on October 4, 1957, was the first artificial satellite to successfully achieve Earth orbit. There had been several previous unsuccessful attempts by the USSR and the USA.


What country was Sputnik 1 launched from?

Sputnik-1 was launched from site No.1, at the 5th Tyuratam range, in Kazakh SSR (now at the Baikonur Cosmodrome) Kazakhstan, former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).Sputnik 1 was launched from Gagarin's Start which is the 5th Tyuratam range, located in Kazakhstan (A country of west-central Asia, south of Russia) where the Baikonor Cosmodrome is now.The Union of Soviet Socialists Republics (U.S.S.R.)

Related questions

In what year was sputnik launched 195519571962or1964?

Sputnik 1 was launched on the 4th of October 1957.


Where was the sputnik launched to?

Sputnik was launched into a low-Earth orbit. Sputnik was launched By the Soviet Union. It was the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. it weighed about 98 pounds and took 90 minutes to orbit earth. when Sputnik was launched the Space Race began.


Which country launched sputnik and in what year?

The first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, was launched by the USSR (Russia) in 1957. Following its launch on October 4, Russia launched Sputnik 2 on November 3. Sputnik 3 was not launched until May, 1958 following the US Explorer and Vanguard satellites in January and March.


Where was Sputnik 2 launched from?

russia


Which country launched the sputnik to begin a space race with the US?

The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) -- Russia launched Sputnik


Is Russia the first to launched Satellite?

Yes, they launched Sputnik in 1957


How was the sputnik launched?

Sputnik 1, 2 and 3 were all launched by the Sputnik rocket, a derivative of the R-7 Semyorka ICBM (NATO reporting name: SS-6 Sapwood).


Why was sputnik 1 such a big deal to America?

Because america and Russia were 'competing' to see who could put the first man-made object into space. Russia launched Sputnik 1 - beating the americans.


Which satellites launched into space after Sputnik?

Sputnik I, launched on October 4, 1957, was the first man-made object to successfully achieve Earth orbit.It was followed by Sputnik II on Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957.The first US satelllite was Explorer I, launched on January 31, 1958.


What was the name of the second artificial satellite to be launched?

The first artificial satellite was Sputnik I, launched by the Soviet Union on the 4th of October 1957


What was the first satellite to be launched into space by any country?

Sputnik 1, launched by the USSR (Russia) on October 4, 1957, was the first artificial satellite to successfully achieve Earth orbit. There had been several previous unsuccessful attempts by the USSR and the USA.


When was the first satellite launched into space and who launched it?

The first satellite to be placed in orbit was Sputnik I. It was the first of a series of "Sputnik" satellites and was launched on October 4, 1957 by the USSR (The Soviet Union).