"The space industry is developing and delivering benefits that tie into our immediate needs and priorities here on Earth-for example, medical and materials research, and satellite communications."
                                                                                              ~ Marc Garneau

        Sputnik launch broke the technological barriers and initiated space race. If not for Sputnik event, American research in space would have been at a much slower pace.  After the collapse of the USSR, space exploration and peaceful use of space was given importance resulted in the international space station with many countries participating.
        Sputnik left a legacy of inspired teachers and a generation of young people who were ignited by math and science, making the US dominant in the field of technology.
        Breaking the gravitational barrier led to a series of technological breakthroughs and created many scientific spin-offs that positively affected everyday life.

Click on above images to see enlarged version.
​​​​​​​Images are edited version from an image of Satellite boradband UK. Source: NASA

        Many believe that we need another Sputnik moment to challenge the political and scientific community to make rapid progress in space exploration.