Sputnik Starts Space Race (APOD Redux from 2000)

[SorellaLaBefana]

... Sputnik means "traveling companion". Despite the innocuous sounding name, the launch of the Earth's first "artificial moon", Sputnik 1, by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957 shocked the free world, setting in motion events which resulted in the creation of NASA and the race to the Moon...

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001007.html

Astronomy Picture Of the Day itself is still 'suspended' by the Regime

When Sputnik launched, I was a small, annoying child. We were living in a rented farmhouse and well recall going out to watch it cross over high above our stubbled field.

Turns out, what we saw was the launch rocket, not the actual satellite as the satellite itself was only about the size of a beach ball (say, two feet in diameter)

However, did listen to Sputnik’s actual transmitted “beeps” on a crystal radio for the next couple of weeks.

Usure why APOD translated Sputnik literally as "traveling companion," as by 1957 it had long meant “satellite” when used in an astronomical context.

Here’s a pix of a model of Sputnik in the Saint Petersburg Space Museum


Keep the lamp of knowledge alight

[lastlib]

1. I was one week old (still in the hospital after being born) when it was launched.

Have heard many times the stories of how my parents heard about it, Dad telling Mom in the hospital.