Sputnik 50th Anniversary

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Originally Posted by waynep

Am I correct in understanding that Sputnik was not a true comms/repeater satellite in that it only transmitted it's own internally generated signal. It did not receive signals from earth and then re-transmit them.
it was purely to prove that the Russians could put a satellite in orbit before the Yanks.

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From what i was told it was controlled from the ground, so yes it could receive and transmit, and NO nothing to do with the space race or the Americans.

Well not according to the scientist interviewed on JJJ.

Baz.

I think it surprised a hell of a lot of people, especially Americans, that the Russians were that capable.

Actually, as far as the space race goes, in every single advancement made during the space race, the Russians did it first, with two exceptions.

The obvious, the yanks got to the moon first.

And a piece of history not that well known and if the yanks have there way, will stay unknown.

Although the Russians are accepted to have to have put the first man made object into space, Sputnik, the reality is that the yanks beat them by about 8 months.

The yanks managed to put a cast iron manhole into to space, but not just into orbit. It was put into space with such force that it left earth’s orbit and has left the solar system by now.

How this came about is that during the cold war, many different nuclear tests were carried out and one that the yanks did, involved boring a very deep hole and placing a nuclear device in the hole.

As a lark, someone decided to put a cast iron manhole cover in the hole.

When the bomb was detonated, the manhole cover was blown into space.

Doctor Karl has this story in one of his many books.