what was the event that started the space race?\no the mercury mission\no the sputnik launch\no the apollo…

Brief Explanations:

The launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957 was the event that initiated the Space - Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It spurred the U.S. to accelerate its space - related efforts. The Mercury mission, Apollo program, and moon landing were later U.S. space endeavors in response to the Sputnik launch.

Answer:

B. the Sputnik launch