too true Calin,
I was thinking exacly the same watching TV newscasts that did the same, quick mention of Sputnik 1 then tons of footage of USA's moon landing!
And now the US is going to get to Mars ... i suspect hat even if it ends up happenning, and as a "team effort" it'll be who put their foot on soil first or who zipped up their suit first or "I thought of it first..."