mckitterick: (Earth-from-space)
mckitterick ([personal profile] mckitterick) wrote2007-09-25 02:33 pm
Entry tags:

speaking of probes & such, heeeeere's Sputnik!

In a little over a week, it'll be the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik and the ensuing Space Age.

Click the image for the full story.

I wonder how many people back then would have believed how the Space Race and the Cold War ended. Neither with bangs. Well, except on occasion. I wonder how many of those people would gape in disbelief if they learned how little we made of our Man in Space investments?

On the other hand, we have a wide diversity of robotic probes exploring our Solar System and the universe beyond, and indeed those are more direct descendants of Sputnik after all.

Chris

[identity profile] kalimeg.livejournal.com 2007-09-25 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I suppose you could count me among "those people" inasmuch as I was about 10 when Sputnik launched.

I'm glad private companies can launch things now, because "Government science" is just way too cautious. As I have said before, 3 accidents in 40 years means more paranoia than exploration. Caution is good. Caution that translates to freezing in place isn't so good. It's too bad that the moon was touched and then abandoned.

[identity profile] geekmom.livejournal.com 2007-09-26 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Google's paying people to land on the moon these days.