Final answer:
The United States created the National Defense Education Act to fund science education in response to the Soviet Union's success in space exploration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States created the National Defense Education Act to fund science education.
The act was passed in 1958 as a response to the Soviet Union's successful launch of the satellite Sputnik and the subsequent fears of falling behind in science and technology.
Through the act, the U.S. government aimed to improve the teaching of science, mathematics, and foreign languages to produce more scientists and engineers to support the nation's defense and technological capabilities.
Learn more about National Defense Education Act