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."

Small and Harmless

[poena.dare]

"Never before had so small and so harmless an object created such consternation."

They said that about George W's brain, too.

Okay, I'll bite. (Re:Small and Harmless)

[Tsar]

"Never before had so small and so harmless an object created such consternation."

They said that about George W's brain, too.

This post has been up for two days and it's now labeled (2, Insightful), thanks to three mod points: Troll, Insightful, Funny. I may see my post dropped to (-1, Offtopic), but I'm willing to spend some karma to say this:

Does anyone else think it ironic that this is a story about a Cold-War era scientific endeavor that was instantly politicized, and now 45 years later, the first posted comment is a political flame? Which was subsequently modded Insightful?

Get real, people. Use your moderation points to improve the dialogue, not to support a political agenda. Call it Funny if you must, but use your head when you mod. Please, for the good of Slashdot, let's try to elevate the discussion.

Focus, Trinity.

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

American culture in the time of Sputnik

[lute3]

When I watched Iron Giant [imdb.com], I was intrigued by the protrayal of American reaction to the launch and apparent 'spying from above' of Sputnik.

I realize there are probably plenty of literary works out there that address this, but are there any notable (or obscure for that matter--I like obscure) films or television shows that address American culture after Sputnik?

October Sky

[cje]

The movie October Sky [google.com], based on the book "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickham, is about a group of kids in a West Virginia coal town who become interested in rocketry after the Soviets send up Sputnik. The entire town gathers together on the night of the launch and watches as the spacecraft passes over. A lot of the reactions are pretty humorous ("That thang's gonna drop bombs on us!" "Why don't we just shoot thing damn the down?")

Without giving away too much of the plot, the Rocket Boys become more and more proficient at their craft and eventually get scholarships to attend college, something that saved them from having to work in the coal mines (which 95% of the rest of the town's boys ended up doing.) The main character (Homer) ends up becoming a NASA engineer, training astronauts for Space Shuttle missions. It's a pretty good movie. It's less about Sputnik than it is about American small coal-town life in the 1950s, but it's a pretty accurate snapshot of how things were Back Then (or so I've been told.)

Incidentally, "October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys." The film was originally titled "The Rocket Boys", but was changed in post-production.

Great movie!

[apsmith]

I watched that movie shortly after my own first attempts with model rockets - great inspiration!

Re:October Sky

[lommer]

Just thought i'd add: October Sky (Rocket Boys) is a true story, and all the characters are real...

Just goes to show you that us canucks can do more than chop down trees and trap beavers. :-)

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 [west.net] 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.

A Famous Quote

[Plutor]

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing."

-- Boromir, son of Denethor II

Re:A Famous Quote

[Tablizer]

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing."

I think the anthrax scare has Sputnik beat WRT size.

Wow, I wonder if...

[travisbecker]

...that Vulcan dude from last week's Enterprise is still living in Pennsylvania??

Travis

good article

[Raiford]

In the same thread there is a good article on the first US ELINT spy satellite called GRAB launched in 1960.

take a look [eetimes.com]

Compleanos Feliz

[ehlo]

May I be the very first to do it:
Happy birthday to you.. Happy birthday to you
happy birthday dear sputnik.. happy birthday to you...and many more...
Anyone care to take it en espanol?

A Look Back

[Cyno01]

uh-oh, the reds have launched a satelite, better step up our duck and cover drills in case of a nuclear war