Anyone old enough to remember fifty years ago when Sputnik was launched? What were you doing?

Question

I was rehearsing for a radio play put on by my HS radio club. We were at the studio and I was leaning on the teletype machine when it started clicking. I looked down and read that Russia had launched the first earth orbiting satelite.

Answer 1

I was 16 years old, and had just discovered astronomy a few months earlier. I can remember tuning in Radio Moscow on my shortwave radio and listening to news about it. They kept playing a recording of the beeps it made while passing overhead. I was really excited by it all!

Answer 2

I was 12 and I had just gotten my general class amateur radio license. There was lots of news coverage because people were afraid it meant that "them commie rooskies" were going to bomb us out of existence the next day, steal our cattle, rape our women, poison our water supply, and generally make a nuisance of themselves.

I went home that afternoon and fired up my receiver and listened for the radio signal from Sputnik 01. It was more of a squawk than a beep, but it was quite recognizable. You could tell it was in orbit because you could hear it coming, and then it would get louder as it passed overhead, and then it would fade out again.

The batteries lasted about three months, and us amateurs listened to it from time to time.

Those were the good old days.

Answer 3

I remember when it went into orbit and I knew what a satellite was.
I was surprised at the number of people who could not imagine what was taking place.
When it was launched many people were wondering if there were men on the moon.

Answer 4

Yes, I too remember Sputnik. I also too heard the signals just it was previously described on my radio.One evening I was able to see it's light reflection from the Sun as passed overhead just before the Sun went down.Now,as amateur radio operator,I bounce signals off these satellites.That's fun to make far away contacts that way.We even bounce signals of the Moon.

Answer 5

I was 4 and I do remember it. A bunch of neighbors gathered, in the evening, and a lot of kids, to see it go by. This was in Seattle. I remember that the people who launched it were the "bad guys" and that this was bad news.

Answer 6

I was 4 and don't think I recall it. I do remember going outside to see the US Echo satellite the next year (I was 5).

Answer 7

I wa listening to a news broadcast on the radio.

Answer 8

I was 12 years old and heard about it that afternoon just after I got home from school.

Doug

Answer 9

Was seventeen and half way through my engineering course. Wasted half the night scanning the sky looking for it.

Answer 10

My brother and I are both born in the 60s so no, but I remember that my brother had many great stamps in his stamb albums about it. :) I wonder what happened to those albums now!!