The Hindu : National : Film on Sputnik-1 brings back memories

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Thursday, Sep 27, 2007
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Film on Sputnik-1 brings back memories

T.S. Subramanian

HYDERABAD: A riveting film, capturing the decisions, events and preparations leading to the launch by the erstwhile Soviet Union of Sputnik-1 on October 4, 1957, was screened to a full house on Tuesday at the International Astronautical Congress here. The launch of the world’s first artificial satellite heralded the beginning of the space age.

Commentary

The commentary was given by Boris Chertok, one of the few surviving members of the Soviet team that was directly involved in the launch. Despite his advanced age, Dr. Chertok cogently recollected in a clear voice the events that led to the momentous launch. He pointed out that Isaac Newton, in 1687 itself, figured out how to make an object go round the earth.

Dr. Chertok reminisced about the contributions made to aeronautics by pioneers such as Konstantin Tsiolkovski, Robert Goddard, Herman Oberth, Werner Von Braun, and later Sergei Korolev and his associates.

He recalled the decision made by the former Nikita Khrushchev on the erstwhile USSR building the world’s first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile R-7 and its later adoption to launch the world’s first artificial satellite.

Simplest satellite

The original decision was to launch a laboratory into space. But Korolev suggested that “a simplest satellite” be launched into space. “Korolev’s proposal was accepted,” Dr. Chertok said.

He added, “Korolev got the consent from Khruschev to use the two best rockets for the launch of the simplest satellite.”

Dr. Chertok spoke about the decision to develop a launch centre in Tyuratam, a desert spot in Kazakhstan. It later became famous all over the world as the Baikonur cosmodrome.

The film showed Soviet leader Joseph Stalin signing a decree in February 1955 that led to launching of the Sputnik.

One scene showed a big crater. The film also had clippings of the facilities built in the 1950s for fabricating the satellite.

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