Why was sputnik 1 important?

Answer 1

Sputnik was the first spacecraft put into orbit, and was done by the Russians during the "space race".
It was important to America because we were in competition with the Russians and wanted to get there first.

Answer 2

Spuknik 1 had a big significance in the race of space exploration between the Russians and the Americans in the cold war. It was the first object which could be lauched on a orbit in space.
Sputnik 1 was the FIRST manmade object to orbit the Earth. It practically sparked the space race. While it just took temperatures, it was like a slap in the face for America. Sputnik 1, as I know, fell out of orbit.

Answer 3

Because at the time the U.S. was in a space race with Russia and when Russia launched Sputnik it meant that they were ahead at the time. Also another reason may be that they had a chance to spy on us now.

Answer 4

It was the first time we sent an animal from Earth into space.

Answer 5

Because it showed the full extent of USSR leading the technology race.

Answer 6

Sputnik Was the first satellite to orbit the Earth.
it was important to americans because we were in competition with the russians and wanted to get to the moon first

Answer 7

It was a soviet launched sattelite, the first artificial sattellite. It essentially created both the space race, and a large-scale atomic missile fear and spurred the arms race.

Answer 8

It was the first artificial satellite launched into orbit, and it was launched by the Russians.

Answer 9

Because it was in the movie october sky