Chelmsford Amateur Radio
Society
G0MWT, GX0MWT, GB5HF & M2T
Sputnik Launched October 1957
In October 1957, Sputnik was launched by the Soviets.
Both America and Russia said that they would launch satellites for the
International Geophysical Year (1957-8) but this was taken as "a pinch of salt" by the
general public.
In May - August 1957 the Soviets published simple communications receiver details to
enable Radio Amateurs "to listen for an artificial moon which would broadcast on
wavelengths of 7.5 and 15 metres". This was the 20MHz & 40MHz Amateur Bands -
a very clever move. This was not generally know in the West at
that time.
In June 1957 Prof Alexander Nesmeyanov, Presidentof the Soviet Academy of Sciences
said that it was realistic to be able to reach the Moon and provide an artificial earth Satellite.
As reported in CARS October Newsletter a number of CARS Members heard the Sputnik
(Sputnik is a Russian word for "satellite" but is often translated as "traveller") and a few
actually saw it flashing in the sky. We now know that this was reflectors put out of the casing
of the R-7 rocket which trailed the satellite 600 miles behind - but who cares!
It is now estimated 4% of Americans saw this - it caused great consternation
in the media although it was publicly dismissed by the Administration.
Sergei Korolev could be justly proud of his acheivement - the Soviet military where only interested
in the fact that it was a modified ICBM! Sergei insisted in having two TX on different
frequencies incase one failed and also to check the different propagation effects from space.
We now know that the simple Bleep-Bleep-Bleep did contain data which sent
back the temperature inside the satellite by varying the length of the Bleep and the
pause between the next Bleep.
It took Sputnik 96 minutes to circle the world - this was brought home recently when a Scout from
Hylands Park, using GB100J, asked the International Space Station "What was it like to see a sunrise?"
The answer came back from space "Great. I see 16 every day!"
It lasted for 21 days before its batteries ran out.
Various Sputnik related links compiled by Eric W3DQ:
AUDIO ITEMS ON SPUTNIK FROM NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO:
Weekend Edition Sunday (Sept 30, 2007)
News Analysis: Remembering Sputnik by Daniel Shorr
Sputnik: The Shock of the Century' Interview with Author Paul
Dickson
All Things Considered (Sept 30, 2007)
Weekend Edition Saturday (Sept 29, 2007)
Talk of the Nation (Sept 28, 2007: 45 min)
All Things Considered: (Oct 4, 2002)
All Things Considered (Oct 4, 1999)
All Things Considered (Oct 1, 1998)
Talk of the Nation (Oct 3, 1997: 1 hr.)
All Things Considered (Oct 4, 1987)
SPUTNIK HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Sounds of Sputnik
Full-scale replica at the National Air & Space Museum
Korolev, Sputnik, and The International Geophysical Year
Thrills of the Earliest Days
Geoff Perry's radio work with his students at the Kettering
(UK) School was highlighted in a "NOVA" television documentary,
"The Schoolboys Who Cracked The Soviet Secret", which first
aired in December 1989. The group continued to operate after
Mr. Perry's retirement from teaching in 1984. Perry and his
associates published numerous reports in the Journal of the
British Interplanetary Society and in US government
publications as well.
DID YOU HEAR SPUTNIK?
If so please contact the CARS Editor - see below.
Satellites in use today:
AO-7 - Yes, Oscar 7 is still going after more than 30 years,
70cm to 2m and 2m to 10m linear transponders.
Lots of other beacon/telemetry only satellites.
The AO-10 look-alike called P3E (German) is likely to launch late 2008 and two
USA Eagle satellites - also highly eliptical orbits with 70cm-2m linear
transponder are scheduled for 2010/11.
A New Zealand satellite and AMSAT-UK linear transponder on an ESA student
project are both likely to launch in 2009.
73 Trevor M5AKA
Click here to go back to the TOP of this page.
To RETURN to the Past Events & Sandford Mill Page - Click
Here
To RETURN to CARS Home Page - Click
Here
©Copyright CARS 2012
19th
January 2012 Minor amendments.
Copy of Sputnik at the Brussels Exhibition, 1958
Under the spherical top satellite is the later satellite which shot the first dog into space.
Photo by Carl, G3PEM taken in 1958
Space Race Permeated Pop Culture
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14845436
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14841107
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14841104
Sputnik Left Legacy for U.S. Science Education
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14829195
Khrushchev, Schorr Look Back on Sputnik
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14829415
Sputnik I, the First Satellite to Orbit Earth, Turns 50
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14799200
Walter Cronkite: How Sputnik Changed the World
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1151147
Sputnik Anniversary
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1064887
Sputnik Satellite Inspired Congress to Create NASA
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1033054
SPUTNIK
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1010850
Igor Kripinov: I Remember Sputnik
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4462087
Sputnik-1
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1957-001B
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/sound/sputnik.wav
http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal100/sputnikclsup.jpg
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sputnik/siddiqi.html
http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/trackind/getstart/oldcyts.htm
VU-52 - Indian "Mode B" 70cm to 2 metre linear transponder.
AO-51 - FM Only 2m to 70cm and 70cm to 13cm satellite