Sputnik – How Science Fueled SciFi Dreams and Failed October 4, 2007
Posted by showmescifi in Sci Fi, Science, science fiction, scifi, space, sputnik.trackback
It was 50 years ago that Sputnik hit the Earth’s outer atmosphere and became the first man made object orbit the Earth.
Yes it kicked off the Space race.
Yes it fueled that fantasies of countless science fiction fans
But the legacy of Sputnik was that unmanned robotic satellites lead the way – its the same today 50 years later.
50 years ago I doubt that there were few people that didn’t think humans would now be living in Space. Beyond the 8 humans on the International Space Station – that’s just not happening.
Sputnik made us think that we could escape the bounds of the Earth and fly above it. Reality is we can’t because we can’t afford it.
What Sputnik represents is the great antoganist – there is no such thing today and hasn’t been for far too long in the space game. Without an antagonist and a race of some sort SciFi dreams will never leave up to science reality.
Show Me SciFi 
Makes me want to watch October Sky again…