What were some americans afraid of as a result of the soviet sputnik launch?

a. that the soviet union would start to colonize space

b. that the united states was falling behind the soviet union

c. that the united states would go to war with the soviet union

The correct answer is B) That the United States was falling behind the Soviet Union.

Sputnik was the first man made satellite to orbit the Earth. This satellite was launched by the Soviet Union during the 1950's. This new capability worried American citizens and the government, as they feared this advancement in technology would give the Soviet Union an advantage if the US was to go to war with them. This is why the US developed NASA and poured millions of dollars of funding into the fields of science and mathematics.