Sputnik's 45th Anniversary

An anonymous reader writes "Today's 45th Anniversary of the day, Oct. 4, 1957, when Sputnik changed the world. "Never before had so small and so harmless an object created such consternation." Daniel J. Boorstin, The Americans: The Democratic Experience. Actually the choice of HAM Radio Broadcast frequencies was neither small nor harmless. NASA HQ WAV Audio."

Comments

Vague sentence

[hackwrench]

Actually the choice of HAM Radio Broadcast frequencies was neither small nor harmless.

I'm not entirely clear as to what this refers to, but are you saying that the frequencies that the people who worked on Sputnik decided to have it broadcast on were ones in use by Ham Operators?
The FCC was created in 1934. I found this link that may shed some light on the radio frequency situation around that time.

Re:Vague sentence

[Anonymous Coward]

Sputnik had dual RF transmitters on frequencies of 20.07 MHz and 40.002 MHz radiated by four external spring-loaded whip antennas. The beeps were alternately transmitted on each of the two frequencies. The Soviets choose the lower frequencies to allow ham radio operators around the world to receive the signals and track the satellite. This scheme, it was believed, would popularize the project as well as provide economically obtained world wide tracking reports from hams around the globe.

Payload

[dunkelfalke]

Its size was more impressive than Vanguard's intended 3.5-pound payload.

even more impressive was the launch of sputnik 3 - 1327 kg payload, 16 times heavier than sputnik 1 - with the same rocket type. that caused even more fear. the rest of the world couldn't believe that ussr can make such strong rockets - more than enough to deliver a nuclear payload over the half of the globe.