October 4, 1957 is a red-letter day in the history of the Earth. For it was on this day that the Soviet Union launched a basketball sized spacecraft signaling man's ability to venture where no one had gone before.
The direct result of the Sputnik launch was that the United States was forced to reshuffle its priorities. This event also resulted in the birth of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). Dr A A Blagonravov was thought to be the man behind the successful launch of the Sputnik.
But the circumstances of the Sputnik launch are shrouded in mystery. In 1952, the International Council of Scientific Unions announced that July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958, would be established as the International Geophysical Year (IGY).
The White House expressed interest in launching an Earth-orbiting satellite in this year and plans were made toward the same. However the Soviets caught the world by surprise with their launch.
That Sputnik changed the world's history is no new revelation, but it must be remembered that in the late 1950s the Cold War was at its peak and Americans became frightened that with satellite-launching capabilities, the Soviets may just acquire nuke-launching ones as well.
The 50th anniversary of Sputnik is special because it shows us what we have achieved in a short span of time. However the launch anniversary also tells us that we still have a long way to go!
