Sputnik Anniversary (broadcast Friday, September 28th, 2007)

Watch this news reel from Universal Studios on the launch of Sputnik. (Credits: Public Domain) See More Videos

Fifty years ago, a little beeping ball stunned the world. Sputnik 1, launched October 4, 1957, was not large, weighing in at under 200 pounds. It was not very durable, lasting only 22 days in orbit before burning up on re-entry. However, that first artificial satellite set the stage for many more to follow and marked the dawn of the space age. Join Ira Flatow in this hour of Science Friday for a look back at Sputnik and its effects on science, education, and the way we look at the world. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests

Jay Barbree
Space Correspondent, NBC News
Orlando, Florida

Michael D'Antonio
Journalist and Author
New York, New York

Leon Lederman
Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1988
Director Emeritus, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Pritzker Professor of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, Illinois

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
Huntsville, Alabama