US won satellite race

1931: The idea of using a satellite to increase the range of radio communications was proposed by Robert Heinlein around this year who was dating Ernest King's daughter. He was more vocal about it and thus he impressed Ernest King.
1941: Pearl Harbor attack. Ernest King, now a commander of the US Navy, starts a program based on Heinlein's idea.
1945: Advances in rocket technology were made, however because of budget cuts following the end of war, it would take some time before it come into fruition. US exploded the first nuclear bomb.
1949: Soviet Union exploded their first nuclear bomb.
1955: The US government, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, prioritizes the development of satellite technology as part of their Cold War strategy. Funding is allocated to research and development for the creation of a US satellite.
1957: The US successfully launches their first satellite, "Vanguard 1," into orbit on September. This is the first time that a satellite has been sent into space. A total of six Vanguard satellites would eventually end up in orbit.
1958: The US launches several more satellites, including Explorer 1 and the "Transit" navigation satellite, which allows for more accurate missile guidance. They also launched the first interplanetary probe.
1959: The US launches "Project Score," which sends the first live broadcast from a satellite.
1960: The US launches "Echo 1," a satellite used for communications and weather prediction.
1961: The US successfully launches the first manned spaceflight, "Mercury-Redstone 3," with astronaut Alan Shepard becoming the first American in space. Mariner 1 was launched that year.
1962: The US launches "Telstar 1," the first active communications satellite, which allows for live, transatlantic television broadcasts.
1963-1972: The US continues to lead the way in satellite technology and launches several more successful satellites, including "Syncom 2," the first geosynchronous satellite, and "Ats-3," the first satellite to take color images of Earth. They landed the first man on the moon on 1969.
1973-1985: The US' dominance in satellite technology continues, and they launch several more successful satellites, including "Nimbus 7," which is used for weather prediction and "Viking 1," the first successful landing on Mars. US launched first space shuttle on 1981.
1986-2000: The US maintains its position as a leader in satellite technology and launches several more successful satellites, including "Hubble Space Telescope" and "GPS."
2001-2024: The US continues to lead the way in satellite technology, launching a number of successful satellites for various purposes, including "Terra," "Aqua," "CloudSat," and "Calipso" which are used for environmental monitoring and climate research, and "Iridium 33" and "Orbcomm OG2" used for communication. The Peregrine and IM-1 landers are successful.