Today, 4 October 2007, marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union. From the Soviet test facility in the Kazahk Republic, the Russians sent aloft on their R7 booster (bigger then anything the Americans had at the time) a 180 pound (80kg) satellite which shocked the world with its little beep-beep-beep signal.
In addition to the initial fears of nuclear strike capability by the Soviets, it also began an age of unprecedented space exploration. This rocket, along with Sputnik 2 (Laika the dog) a month later and subsequent responses by the Americans in 1958 were all part of a international joint plan started in 1955 to mark the International Geophysical Year (Jul57-Dec58) to send satellites into orbit and explore earth and its environment.
As astronomers, this event ultimately had a huge impact on our activities, since it eventually spawned explorers such as Hubble, COBE, SOHO, Chandra, Galileo, Voyagers, Cassini and many others which has resulted in seeing space in ways we never imagined 50 years ago. And it generated new technologies which we take for granted today such as GPS, Goto mounts, CCD imagers, etc.
To mark this occasion, I wandered outside last night at around 1:30am to just look up and reflect on the wonder of our favourite pastime, the changes we’ve seen in our lifetimes, and gaze into the infinity of our universe. Without any optical assistance, I gazed upon many constellations like Perseus, Cepheus, Pegasus, Cygnus, and others. I saw Mars shining brightly, rising slowly over the roofline of the house. I was able to enjoy a bright green meteor that lingered for several seconds after its passing. And the primary goal I was seeking – 2 satellites passing overhead.
It’s fitting that tonight, we’ll be meeting up with a Cub pack at Binbrook to introduce them to the excitement of exploring space. Maybe we will be planting the seeds for a new generation of space explorers.
Happy 50th Anniversary! I can hardly wait to see what the next 50 years will bring.
