I don"t remember ever being able to see Sputnik, but the first communications satellite experiment Echo was clearly visible with the naked eye. I think it was described as being a very large aluminized plastic or rubber balloon that they put into orbit and inflated. The experiment was to see if they could bounce a signal, or maybe light off the surface of the satellite, and receive the signal somewhere else on Earth. As I remember it, the experiment worked and gave the United States something to crow about, having a "first". We watched Echo go overhead all one Summer. It took about 10 minutes to go from horizon to horizon, so it must have been in fairly low orbit.
Sputnik was a small sphere, not much larger than a basketball, with antennas showing. It had electronics that put out a beep radio signal, but really didn"t do much else. But obviously the Russians had succeeded in placing a man-made object in orbit, as the signal went overhead at regular intervals. What really made people upset was that putting Sputnik in orbit showed the world that the Soviets HAD operational rockets that also could have been used as ICBM"s, and our rocket programs were not quite there yet. The space race was on! Both countries put vast amounts of funds into getting and staying ahead. Who won? Maybe the U.S. did, with the moon landings. It sure seems sad to me that our space program is way down, due to lack of funding. I hope that we humans can get along well enough to eventually go to other planets or moons. Unless something is invented to make travel incredibly faster than is possible now, I do not think humans will ever go to other solar systems. They are just too far away.
I remember moving sprinkler pipes...it was a terrible job, either way hot or way cold, and backbreaking work all the time. I also remember how luxurious we thought it was when the guy I worked for finally got a wheel line that moved itself with a gas engine! Still had to hook it up and often straighten out booboos. But it was a whole lot easier than dragging or carrying pipes. Never again. I doubt that I will ever milk a cow again either.
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Today's Featured Article - History of the Nuffield Tractor - by Anthony West. The Nuffield tractor story started in early 1945. The British government still reeling from the effects of the war on the economy, approached the Nuffield organization to see if they would design and build an "ALL NEW" British built wheeled tractor, suitable for both British and world farming.
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