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

military science

[tid242]

Its size was more impressive than Vanguard's intended 3.5-pound payload. In addition, the public feared that the Soviets' ability to launch satellites also translated into the capability to launch ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear weapons from Europe to the U.S.

It's kind of interesting to note, but oftentimes with historical events such as this the context is forgotten. Sputnik's intent was more for the purposes of showcasing the superior soviet rocketry than an endeavor for the good of humanity.

Perhaps the biggest direct effect of Sputnik, aside from the beginning of the "space race," was the development of the ICBM-carrying nuclear submarine, which when stationed under the N Pole could offset the ability of the Soviets to "out-rocket" the Americans, and to this day nuclear submarines remain one of the most important pieces in the mutually-assured destruction game of warfare...

It is unfortunate that science and military might are so often inextricably tied.

-tid242