Secrets of 1957 Sputnik Launch Revealed

October 1st, 2007 in Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Secrets of 1957 Sputnik Launch Revealed (AP)

Jay Walker poses with his Sputnik satellite in his Ridgefield, Conn., home Friday, Sept. 28, 2007. The satellite, which Walker says is neither a model nor a replica, is one of the Sputnik satellites built by the Soviets in 1957. He says he acquired the satellite through a listing on eBay. (AP Photo/Bob Child)

(AP) -- When Sputnik took off 50 years ago, the world gazed at the heavens in awe and apprehension, watching what seemed like the unveiling of a sustained Soviet effort to conquer space and score a stunning Cold War triumph.

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