Best answer:
<h2>The United States concentrated its efforts on the development of rockets.</h2>
History / explanation:
The Sputnik satellite was sent into orbit by the USSR on October 4, 1957. The Soviets announced its mission as a scientific one, to study the solar system. In the Cold War atmosphere, of course, Americans were wary of what other motives the USSR might have had. The Soviets launched Sputnik 2 in November, 1957, with a dog on board. The USA scrambled to get its own satellite program operational, launching the first US satellite, Explorer, on January 1, 1958.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded in July, 1958, to continue the United States' advance in space technology.
