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50 Years Ago, Sputnik Was an Improvised Triumph

Posted by kdawson on from the gum-and-baling-wire dept.

caffiend666 sends in an AP article featuring interviews with the old men who launched the first satellite 50 year ago. The story they tell hinges on luck and the drive of one man, Sergei Korolyov, who died in 1966, unheralded in his lifetime. "When Sputnik took off 50 years ago, the world gazed at the heavens in awe and apprehension, watching what seemed like the unveiling of a sustained Soviet effort to conquer space and score a stunning Cold War triumph. But 50 years later, it emerges that the momentous launch was far from being part of a well-planned strategy to demonstrate communist superiority over the West... 'At that moment we couldn't fully understand what we had done,' Chertok recalled. 'We felt ecstatic about it only later, when the entire world ran amok'... And that winking light that crowds around the globe gathered to watch in the night sky? Not Sputnik at all, as it turns out, but just the second stage of its booster rocket."

5 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. I raise my glass to the Russians... by ChePibe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Who were, and remain, worthy competitors and partners as we reach to the stars.

    Congratulations are due on the anniversary of this achievement and to their many achievements since. May they have many more, and may they help elevate this world and all that are in it.

  2. The effects.... by iknownuttin · · Score: 5, Interesting
    "We didn't believe that you would outpace the Americans with your satellite, but you did it. Now you should launch something new by Nov. 7," Korolyov quoted Khrushchev telling him, according to Grechko.

    And then America got their ass in gear and realized that science is important and started a program that vastly improved science education and learning science became the "cool" thing to do.

    There were some benefits in the existence of the Soviet Union.

    --
    I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
  3. Re:A lot of the Russian program was improvised by JasterBobaMereel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just ask NASA who could rescue a shuttle stuck in orbit before they ran out of air/water/food, not NASA they couldn't get their "reusable" shuttle in orbit in less than 56 days, whereas the Russians sensibly had a Soyuz or Progress craft on standby at all times to mount a rescue of their Cosmonauts?

    --
    Puteulanus fenestra mortis
  4. Re:first mutt in space .. by Eponymous+Bastard · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "Laika died of a heart attack early in the mission (not too surprising!)"
    There was no mention at the time of Laika dying in orbit, indeed the impression given was thet he safely returned to earth. Later on they mentioned him dying during reentry or euthanized by injection in orbit, or died of fright just after take-off, later on in a book written by one of the Russians who actually worked on the project there is mention of the mutt being electrocuted. - Laika was a she
    - Sputnik 2 couldn't reenter, so mechanisms were added to euthanize her. There was enough food and supplies to keep her alive for a week. The mechanism was poisoned food, not electrocution.
    - Wikipedia says she died after 5 to 7 hours into the flight because the temperature control system failed.

    Also notice that Laika's death is mostly played up in the US, probably becuase of cold war propaganda. The rest of the world knows who Laika is, and is surprised to learn that she died in orbit.
  5. Other Notable Achievements by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Other Soviet space achievements include but not limited to:

    * First mammal in space (dog)
    * First human in space
    * First human to orbit earth
    * First images of far-side of the moon
    * First images from surface of moon (lander)
    * First landing and images from surface of another planet (Venus)

    --
    Table-ized A.I.