Sputnik went “beep … beep” and yelled out loud: “IT’S ON”

Once upon a time, there was a satellite weighting 84 kilogram*. Produced by a country, that nobody would have ever expected to be able to kick off a competition, namely the Cold War (I am well aware that this was not the only reason why there was such a thing as the cold war, but still, I am sure it contributed to the whole broiling situation between the US and Sowjet Union). Russia was the first to send a satellite (that was capable of making “beep … beep … beep“) into the Earth’s orbit 50 years ago.

If you ask me the satellite wasn’t just sending “beep”s to Earth. It rather was screaming “It’s on” to Western space agency, NASA. In modern face-book-terms the Western world, considering themselves as more modern that anything else, was b!t@h-slapped. Their reaction? A Race For Space. Due to a lack of scientists, the government had to invest into reforming the school system putting an emphasis on science (Physics&Co, subjects that we take as granted). Their motivation was caused by a striving to catch up with the Sowjets. And wait, there’s a shocker: Both sides realized that satellites could (they are, indeed) useful for rocket launching/controlling.