Sputnik Turns 50

Space Race Veterans Recall "Small Ball" That Changed The World

(CBS/AP)  "We regarded it as Korolyov's little toy," says Boris Chertok, 95, a key designer of Sputnik, earth's first artificial satellite. "We... did not expect the impact the launch of this small ball, simple from outside and inside, made for mankind."

The impact was and is huge: funneling enormous amounts of cash and energy into science, spawning numerous inventions and inspiring many a career and countless works of literature, art and entertainment, and ultimately changing the geopolitical climate, to the point where today, Russians, Americans, and astronauts from other nations work side by side at the International Space Station.

Engineers, military officials and former cosmonauts on Thursday celebrated the 50th anniversary of the launch of the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, which marked the dawn of the Space Age and sparked the race to land a man on the moon.

The space race had a very serious military objective, for both sides, with strategists concerned about who would rule the skies - and beyond.

"However unpleasant it might sound," recalls Chertok, "the Cold War period stimulated the development of space and satellite technology. If we had had lived as peacefully as today or, our life had been as stable as it is today, without any fear that someone might attack, then we would not have put so much money into space technology development, in the way we did in the later half of the twentieth century."

Ceremonies were held Thursday at the Russia's cosmonaut training center, Star City, outside of Moscow and engineers were to gather at the Academy of Sciences to recall the events leading up to the Oct. 4, 1957, launch of the spikey, 184 pound metal ball that beeped as it circled the globe for some 22 days.

Military officials held a small ceremony to lay flowers at the grave of the father of the Soviet space program, Sergei Korolyov, who was buried with honors at the foot of the Kremlin walls.

Russia's senior counselor for science and technology is marking the anniversary at the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he is speaking at a space conference. Yevgeny Zvedre will also tour the Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum, and watch a recreation of the Wright brothers first powered, controlled flight.

The success of Soviet engineers in launching Sputnik stunned the world, and was followed just four years later by another historic achievement - the launch of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.

Sputnik galvanized the U.S. government to pour money into space research and technology with the goal of landing a man on the moon - an event that occurred nearly 12 years later.

"Of course speaking just for us specialists (the launch) sparked an unexpected furor around the world. No one expected this, even including our engineers," Viktor Frusmon, a co-worker of Korolyov's, said in a televised comments Thursday.

[hober_mallow]

"The impact was and is huge: funneling enormous amounts of cash and energy into science, spawning numerous inventions"

Yea, but how exactly are you using those inventions and science?

Well, one of the challenges of satellites and space travel was reducing the weight of electronic circuitry. Miniaturization was the goal.

The result was microprocessors and all other manner of silicon chips. A decent result I think considering the economic impact on the U.S. and world economy.

[barga44]

Korolev not die in the prison GYLAG very quickly.
He worked 1 year only in gold mine, where people all die for 1 year.
It was normal.
It was place for humble and killing of political enemies.
He has to be 8 years. And of course he had to be died.
He lost all teeth only. And one very strong guy protects him from gangsters.
They picked out food from other people.
People from NKVD, who tortured Korolev, worked and received retirement
In Moscow after his "work". Daughter of Korolev thought, that he was a gangster too.
She didn''t want to speak with him after arrest.
He was compact, so he needs less food then Billy Clinton, then normal person.
His jaw or denture was broken in two places in NKVD. When people from NKVD
told him, that his family will be in prison too, he agreed signed false documents. There is not any court in Soviet Union in that time in 1938 year.
But his teacher was from www.mstu.ru His name was Tupolev. He found http://tupolev.ru/English/Show.asp?SectionID=27
So, Korolev worked with his teacher in the prison for engineers in GULAG.
Korolev believed in communism. He loved Stalin.
Korolev studied technology of Germany engineers Fau-1 and Fau-2.Some of them was in USSR and worked for purpose copying FAU-2.
Ziolkovcky was his teacher in his goals.He dreamad about Moon and Mars.He didn''t slept sometimes all night and worked.His house in Moscou you can see
http://www.cosmomuseum.ru/default.asp?ob_no=1425
It was gift Soviet government.

[nordeck52]

Yea, but how exactly are you using those inventions and science?

Posted by zootallures2 at 10:39 AM : Oct 04, 2007


If it weren''t for the Space Race, we wouldn''t have Ziploc bags, pudding, or bar codes for one thing.

[zootallures2]

"Sputnik galvanized the U.S. government to pour money into space research and technology with the goal of landing a man on the moon"

But instead you put up a global tracking system and spy satellites. Plus stole huge amounts of tax money.

So, if Russia was so far ahead, how come they didn''t go to the moon? Oh, because the US was farther ahead in Hollywood and special effects...LOL!

[zootallures2]

"The impact was and is huge: funneling enormous amounts of cash and energy into science, spawning numerous inventions"

Yea, but how exactly are you using those inventions and science?

[antoniof123]

Cool story nice to find out about the past hope people learn from it.