Today is the anniversary of sattelite technology

MikeB

October 4th 1957.... The birth of the modern space race began with the successful launch of Sputnik 1 by the Russian Space Program. This was the catalyst that spurred the USA on to join Russia in the race to Space.

The original Sputnik 1 satellite was about 60cm (or 2 foot if you were alive when it went up) and weighed in at a tad over 83 Kilos. The satellite didn't actually do much but issue a series of radio beeps, but it was a proof of concept that has led to the birth of our modern day global communications infrastructure and paved the way for the plethora of satellites adorning our skies today. These of course include the constellation of GPS Satellites which we use everyday in our navigation systems.

To commemorate the importance of the day even Google has a special themed Sputnik logo.

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Mike Barrett

philpugh · Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 11:33 am Post subject:

I remember going out into the back garden with my dad to see if we could see it. I would have been 6 at the time. I don't think I did see it - but saw some of the ones that immediately followed. It probably kindled my lifelong enthusiasm for astronomy.
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Phil

Mearns · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 11:32 pm Post subject:

Well it was 1957 rather than '58, but what's a year when you take into account all that has happened in space in the 50 years since then. I was 12 and remember it vividly. We'd gone round to Grannies as we always did on a Friday night as she had a telly and we didn't. Clustered round the tiny black and white set and listened to the news reports and the beeps Sputnik sent out - made Dan Dare's adventures in the Eagle comic so much more real! I still had to watch Quatermass from behind the sofa though!
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Tony
nuvi 2460LT plus Brodit mount

Darren · Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 10:03 am Post subject:

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