the main, or central, idea of the passage is the launch of sputnik 1 by the soviet union prompted the united…

the main, or central, idea of the passage is the launch of sputnik 1 by the soviet union prompted the united states to create nasa. how does the detail in bold develop the main idea? the first artificial earth satellite, sputnik 1, was launched into space by the former soviet union on october 4, 1957. as momentous as this event was for science, it was a blow to the united states. americans feared that the launch indicated a technological gap between the united states and the soviet union, americas rival in the cold war at the time. with a technological edge, they worried, the soviets could dominate the exploration of space or develop superior weapons. this widespread concern spurred the u.s. government to combine several separate organizations into a new, better - funded organization called the national aeronautics and space administration, or nasa. nasa officially began operations on october 1, 1958. four months later, the u.s. successfully launched its own satellite, explorer 1. it challenges the wisdom of forming nasa. it contrasts the motivations of the two superpowers. it details the motivation for creating nasa.
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Brief Explanations:
The bold - faced text describes American concerns about the Soviet technological edge and the potential for Soviet dominance in space or weapon - development. These concerns led to the creation of NASA. So, it details the motivation for creating NASA.
Answer:
It details the motivation for creating NASA.