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IOTL, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial space satellite, causing the "Sputnik Crisis" in the US, and triggering the space race and a wave of space exploration that still cannot be matched to this day.
What would be the implications to space exploration (especially from a US perspective), if a different country (it can be anyone), other than the USSR or the US were the first to launch a satellite into space?
Options:
Similar to OTL Soviet Sputnik Crisis - it spurs the US on to space exploration. The US wants to maintain its grip on world power.
Slower than OTL - space exploration is purely scientific, without the Cold War politics, there is only limited motivation to fund costly space exploration.
Indifference - if a country other than the threatening USSR launches a satellite first, it would be seen as an expensive gimmick with few benefits, no change or reason for the US to increase funding for space exploration.