"Steven D. Litvintchouk" wrote:

In 1955, *both* the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. had announced intentions to
try to orbit satellites in the immediate future. The U.S. said it would
try to launch during the upcoming International Geophysical Year
1957-58; the U.S.S.R. was a bit more vague as to exactly when.

Yet when the U.S.S.R. orbited Sputnik, the whole world, especially the
U.S., appeared to be "shocked" by it. Why? Did everybody think the
Soviets were only making idle boasts?

The American public believed that the Soviet Union was backward in
sciences and technology and the launch of Sputnik came as a great
shock. The news media had given virtually no coverage on the
USSRs claim that they would launch a satellite during the
Geophysical Year.

Mike Walsh