55 Years Ago Today, October 4, 1957..Sputnik

[Stuart G]

What looked like a terrible defeat for American science turned out to be an incredible advance in science and technology..
One could easily argue that miniturization and advancement in computers eventually lead to the PC and eventually the internet which we are using right now. The speed up of that development was a direct result of the space race and sputnik. In the areas of health and medicine great advances have been made due to those developments that started with the space race...
and...........................hats off to the old Soviet Union..for moving all of us forward, yes, I know that is not what it was about then, but it turned out ok..
.............

[Octafish]

1. Changed the world.

Korolev, Sputnik, and The International Geophysical Year

EXCERPT...

Armed with Ryabikov's approval, Korolev attended a second secret meeting the same day at the offices of the 'chief scholarly secretary' of the Academy of Sciences Gennadiy V. Topchiyev. Many other scientists and designers including Keldysh, Tikhonravov, and rocket engine specialist Valentin P. Glushko were present. Korolev reported to the distinguished assemblage that the Council of Chief Designers at a recent meeting had conducted a detailed examination on modifying the original R-7 into a vehicle capable of launching a satellite into orbit. No doubt, he also spoke of the government's interest on the matter. At the end of his speech he formally proposed to build and launch a series of satellites into space, including one with animals, and for the Academy to establish a formal commission to carry out this goal. The Chief Designer had a specific timetable in mind. He told his audience, "As for the booster rocket, we hope to begin the first launches in April-July 1957...before the start of the International Geophysical Year." 16 If earlier, Korolev's satellite plans had been timed for the indefinite future, the Eisenhower Administrations announcement in July 1955 completely changed the direction of Korolev's attack. Not only did it imbue Korolev's satellite proposal with a new sense of urgency, but it also gave him a specific timetable to aim for. If the United States was planning to launch during the IGY, then the Soviets would launch one a few months before the beginning of the International Geophysical Year, guaranteeing a first place finish. The attending scientists at the meeting accepted the new proposal, and at Korolev's recommendation Keldysh was designated the Chairman of the commission. Korolev and Tikhonravov would serve as his deputies.

CONTINUED...

[slackmaster]

2. All it did was go "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"

A continuous raspberry beamed down to the rest of the world.

[lastlib]

3. I was a week old that day. My mother brought me home from the hospital,

and my father told her about it on the way home. True to form, I've always been an outer-space geek. Yes, indeed, it was a great accomplishment!

[Johonny]

4. The US celebrated by launching a satellite today :)

[Stuart G]

5. Two wonderful movies related to this event..

October Sky

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/

The Iron Giant..
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129167/

two..completely different, but with wonderful ideas behind them, postive and warm for everyone...

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. I was born 9 months later

Coincidence? sometime I'll have to ask my Dad (who was working on Explorer 1) about that.