Question

What event most clearly prompted the US government to pursue the Space Race?

1)the successful launch of Yuri Gagarin into space by the Soviet Union
2)the Soviet Union’s surprising launch of Sputnik into Earth’s orbit
3)the declaration by President Kennedy to land a man on the Moon
4)the US government’s increase in defense spending after World War II
5)the sudden invasion of South Korea by the North Korean military

Answer 1

"The Soviet Union’s surprising launch of Sputnik into Earth’s orbit" is the one event among the choices given in the question that most clearly prompted the US government to pursue the Space Race. The correct option among all the options that are given in the question is the second option or option "2". I hope it helps you.

Answer 2

Correct answer choice is :

2) The Soviet Union’s surprising launch of Sputnik into Earth’s orbit

Explanation:

The Space Race leads to the 20th-century contest among two Cold War opponents, the Soviet Union and the United States, for dominance in spaceflight ability. The Space Race starts in 1957 and the U.S. and the Soviet Union are clasped into the Cold War. The Soviet Union has just begun the world's first satellite, Sputnik. Afraid of Soviet military control of space, the Americans immediately ready a rocket.