https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_is_the_mother_of_invention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_is_the_mother_of_inv... I'm not saying that the poss

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_is_the_mother_of_invention https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_is_the_mother_of_inv... I'm not saying that the possible factors that I'm talking about are the only ones at play, I'm arguing that their potential for impact is significant enough that they cannot simply be discounted. Also, regarding Soviet success, they had a tendency to throw shit at the wall to see what would stick (https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2011/05/02/134597833/cosmonaut-crashed-into-earth-crying-in-rage https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2011/05/02/134597833/c...) to an extent well in excess of what would be acceptable in a less callous society. (Not that America was innocent in this regard - https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_Colloquium1012.html https://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_...)