On This Date In 1957

[max]

All of our lives changed, the Russians launched a 185 pound sphere named Sputnik. It had a 1 watt transmitter and broadcast a radio signal for 21 days until it's batteries died. Many of us heard the beep beep on tv or the radio as it flew through space. It burned up in the earth's atmosphere after 3 months. School curriculum soon changed and the space race was on!

I can remember standing out in the yard after dark and watching it in the night sky. Just a small light moving rapidly among the stars.

 

[SlamFire]

Been a big change in the night sky since then. According to the web, in 2021 there were 4055 satellites in orbit. Probably more since then.

Real-time Satellites in Google Earth

https://youtu.be/ydbbd-4oEds?si=yHQ0RVcP2xzR1b3e

 

[Rudi]

There sure are a lot of them up there now. On a nice summer night they are everywhere in all different orbits. Wild.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I was in Idaho hunting with friends. While sitting around the campfire one guy passed gas, another guy said " Sputnic" and the laughter began.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Elon's been busy. SpaceX has over 6000 Starlink satellites in orbit.

 

[AugieTN]

Back in the 60s our local newspaper would publish what satellite would travel across the sky in the evening along with the time. We would go outside in the evening and watch them go across the sky.

 

[rwsmith]

I was young.....

I was very young, just two years and 4 months but I have a really good memory for my younger years. My dad took us out the front door and pointed it out to us. I always said that I was a child of the space age, because I was there for the whole thing, right from the beginning. And it was a really important part of my life. The astronauts were my heroes growing up. and I remember getting the plastic medallions of each one out of the Gordon's potato chip bags. We had some plastic rockets that you pumped full of air and water that had a little astronaut in the 'nose cone' that flew up pretty good.

Oh, I saw a documentary some years back called 'Sputnik Sky' where everybody terrified because Sputnik was a RUSSIAN satellite that went 'beep, beep, beep'.

I also enjoyed the movie 'October Sky' about kids studying rocketry in the early days and some ended up actually becoming part of the space program.

It was a sorry note in the mid-70s when I was in school that many of my professors were ex-NASA engineers that had been laid off. (good for me, though).

 

[erikpolcrack]

Yep, their captured German V-2 scientists beat ours, but old Werner and the boys eventually pulled ahead and got to the moon!

 

[MSgt G]

Reminded me of a fantastic movie, October Sky! I just read the book the movie is bases on and it's even better. The Rocket Boys will keep your attention.

 

[Retired W4]

A scene from the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory, WPAFB, 1960's

 

[3wire]

Here's another site that shows Low Earth Orbit Visualization, I just stare at this visualization with amazement while trying to wrap my head around what I'm seeing. WOW!

Low Earth Orbit Visualization | LeoLabs

 

[rwsmith]

Whoe!!!!

A scene from the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory, WPAFB, 1960's

FUTURISTIC!!!

 

[rwsmith]

The race to put.....

Here's another site that shows Low Earth Orbit Visualization, I just stare at this visualization with amazement while trying to wrap my head around what I'm seeing. WOW!

Low Earth Orbit Visualization | LeoLabs

...the most garbage in space!