What does 'Sputnik moment' mean? - Idiom Definition

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What does 'Sputnik moment' mean?

A Sputnik moment is a point where people realise that they are threatened of challenged and have to redouble their efforts to catch up. It comes from the time when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, the Sputnik 1, and beat the USA into space.

Category: Technology & science

All idioms have been editorially reviewed, and submitted idioms may have been edited for correctness and completeness.

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