My own feelings were "We were supposed to launch Vanguard! How DARE the Russians be so rude as to launch first?!"

Of course, Vanguard blew up on the launch pad, and the US turned from the Navy to the Army to launch the first US satellite.

It's about time the US got another such shock and started putting REAL money into REAL education and R&D. The National Defense Student Loan Program for college students far surpassed anything available today.