Thursday, October 4, 2007

Stamp of the Day: Sputnik

Sputnik, the first man-made object in orbit, was launched by the russians 50 years ago today, starting an era of space exploration and space race between the USSR and USA. Sputnik was much smaller and lighter than the originally planned satellite, and contained only a radio transmitter sending a beep-beep-beep instead of scientific instruments, but that beeping was a big propaganda victory for the Soviet union.

The cold war seem so long ago nowadays, doesn't it?

/O.K.
(Listening to while posting: Terra Nine - Strange Craft)

4 comments:

LS said...

Remember one of the best movies in the world, everybody? "Life as a Dog" of course, which partly is about Sputnik and the poor dog Laika that died in space.

LS said...

What does 'sputnik' mean? It must a have a meaning in Russian I would think.

O.K. said...

"Följeslagare", if I recall it right. Whats that in english, "travel companion" perhaps?

LS said...

Yep, travel companion or travel partner.