Re: New Sputnik Documentary

In article <1172560659.547262.155030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, slate91
says...

As I'm sure many of you know, October 4, 2007 will mark the 50th
anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the first man-made object ever
to leave the atmosphere and successfully orbit the earth. Throughout
the world, events are being planned to celebrate the "Sputnik Year,"
which begins on the anniversary and runs through December 31, 2008.

I'm part of the production team on Sputnik: The Movie, which is set to
come out this year as part of the celebration of Sputnik's 50th
anniversary. The movie, which tells the satellite's story from
America's point of view, resonates with me today even though I'm far
too young to have lived through the age of Sputnik.

The film is based on Paul Dickson's bestselling book Sputnik: The
Shock of the Century, which I love. Longtime PBS journalist Mark
Shields narrates the film with his unique grandfatherly, yet
opinionated, style of storytelling.

Anyway, I wanted to make you all aware of this movie and the
importance it'll have this year. For more information, you can go to
www.sputnikmovie.com, or feel free to contact me with any questions
you have.

A question for all of you: if you were alive when Sputnik was
launched, what do you remember about that day? And if not, what in
your lifetime compares to the magic of mankind's first venture into
outer space?

Well, not so much about that day, except that we heard that it was launched and
went outside to see if we could see it orbit overhead. My recollection is that
we did [I was in high school] and that it looked like a speck of light. I lived
in Connecticut at the time so I guess someone can figure out if I actually did
see it.

I can remember [at that age] a little sense of "the Russians beat us" but only a
few years before we were being asked in school if we thought it was at all
possible for a rocket to leave the earth's atmosphere. I'd hate to read now the
things we all wrote.

The most exciting thing that even out-did that, I think ... at least at that
time, was the discovery [development] of a successful polio vaccine. We were
rejoicing with the neighborhood over that one. If you've not grown up with a
fear that any fever might be polio, it's hard to understand what a great joy and
relief that was.

--
Barbara Needham

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