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Sputnik I, the First Satellite to Orbit Earth, Turns 50 In 1957, a little beeping ball stunned the world. Sputnik I, launched 50 years ago on Oct. 4, set the stage for many more satellites to follow and marked the dawn of the space age. Guests discuss Sputnik and its effects on science, education, and the way we view the world.
Special Series

Sputnik at 50: Looking Back at the Space Race

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviets launched into orbit a metal ball that grabbed the world's attention.

Sputnik I, the First Satellite to Orbit Earth, Turns 50

Heard on Talk of the Nation

Sputnik I, the First Satellite to Orbit Earth, Turns 50

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A technician prepares Sputnik. NASA hide caption

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NASA

In 1957, a little beeping ball stunned the world. Sputnik I, launched 50 years ago on October 4, set the stage for many more satellites to follow and marked the dawn of the space age. Guests and callers discuss Sputnik and its effects on science, education, and the way we view the world.

Guests:

Jay Barbree, space correspondent, NBC News; author, Live from Cape Canaveral: Covering the Space Race, from Sputnik to Today

Michael D'Antonio, journalist and author of A Ball, A Dog, And A Monkey: 1957 - The Space Race Begins

Leon Lederman, Nobel Laureate in physics, 1988; director emeritus, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; professor of physics at Illinois Institute of Technology

Konrad Dannenberg, former deputy manager, Saturn Program; former deputy director, Program Development Mission and Payload Planning, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center; consultant, Alabama Space and Rocket Center

Special Series

Sputnik at 50: Looking Back at the Space Race

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviets launched into orbit a metal ball that grabbed the world's attention.