Latest news with #Sputnik1
Ammon
5 hours ago
- Science
- Ammon
National Aeronautics and Space Administration established
Criticized for allowing the Soviet Union to launch the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth (Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957), U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation this day in 1958 that created NASA. Britannica
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First Post
14 hours ago
- Science
- First Post
History Today: The day Nasa was born
Nasa was founded on July 29, 1958, following US President Dwight D Eisenhower signing the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law. This led to the development of the biggest space agency. On this day in 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer as 750 million people watched worldwide read more Workers repaint the Nasa logo near the top of Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. File image/AP The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) is behind some of the biggest and most groundbreaking space research done over the years. It was officially established on July 29, 1958, when US President Dwight D Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On this day in 1921, Adolf Hitler formally became the leader of the Nazi Party, which ultimately plunged the world into one of the most destructive periods of war. In 1981, then Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Here is all that happened on this day. Nasa was founded The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) was officially established when US President Dwight D Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law on July 29, 1958. Nasa was founded in response to the growing competition with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The launch of Sputnik 1 by the USSR in October 1957 had shocked the United States and sparked fears of falling behind in space and missile technology. The US needed a coordinated national effort to compete, and Nasa became that answer. President Dwight Eisenhower and Dr T Keith Glennan, the first head of NASA, discuss photos received from the satellite Tires I in Washington. File image/AP Nasa effectively absorbed the existing National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (Naca), which had been established in 1915 to conduct aeronautical research. Naca's expertise, personnel, and facilities formed the core of the new space agency. Elements from other military programs, such as the Army Ballistic Missile Agency's rocket development under Wernher von Braun, were also transferred to Nasa. In its early years, Nasa focused on human spaceflight, leading to the famed Mercury and Gemini missions. These paved the way for the Apollo program, which culminated in the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon. While the Act was signed on July 29, 1958, Nasa officially opened for business on October 1, 1958. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hitler became the head of the Nazi party In one of the most defining moments in history, Adolf Hitler officially became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party). His rise to power within the party would set in motion a chain of events that ultimately led to World War II and the Holocaust. Hitler had joined the German Workers' Party in 1919, shortly after Germany's defeat in World War I. His oratory skills, propaganda instincts, and fiery nationalism quickly made him a standout figure. The party changed its name in 1920 to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), and Hitler began shaping its message around extreme nationalism, anti-Semitism, and anti-communism. By mid-1921, internal disagreements threatened the party's cohesion. Hitler, already popular with the party's rank and file, delivered an ultimatum: he would only stay if he was granted full control as chairman. The party leadership relented, and on July 29, 1921, he was officially appointed Fuhrer (leader) of the Nazi Party. This ascension allowed Hitler to centralise power, eliminate internal dissent, and transform the party from a small, local group into a highly organised and disciplined political force. It paved the way for the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, his subsequent imprisonment where he wrote Mein Kampf, and ultimately, his appointment as Chancellor of Germany in 1933, leading to the establishment of the Third Reich. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prince Charles married Lady Diana It was on July 29, 1981, that nearly 750 million television viewers worldwide witnessed the 'wedding of the century' - the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. The wedding took place at St Paul's Cathedral in London, a venue chosen for its capacity and grandeur. Diana, just 20 years old, arrived in a horse-drawn carriage wearing an elaborate ivory silk taffeta gown designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The dress, with its 25-foot train, became instantly iconic and set bridal fashion trends for years. Britain's Prince Charles speaks with his bride Princess Diana during their wedding ceremony in St Paul's Cathedral, London. File image/AP Attended by 3,500 guests, Britain declared it a national holiday. The event was broadcast in over 70 countries, symbolising not just a union of two individuals, but a spectacle of tradition, glamour, and royal continuity. At the time, the public viewed their marriage as a fairy tale with an aristocratic young woman marrying a future king. However, beneath the surface, cracks were already forming. This Day, That Year On this day in 2005, scientists formally announced the discovery of what was believed to be the 10th planet, later named Eris. The International Atomic Energy Agency was created in 1957. Albania was formally recognised by the major European powers as an independent principality in 1905.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
CU receives $2.5 million investment to explore space governance
DENVER (KDVR) — Less than a century ago, the idea of ascending to space above the Earth seemed like only a dream. With the successful launch of Sputnik 1 into orbit on Oct. 4, 1957, and the subsequent Space Race that followed, humanity's dream became a reality, and a new frontier was explored. Postal carrier explains why you may see a dryer sheet in your mailbox Fast forward 67 years, and people are in space all the time, even Katy Perry has been there. With an increased network of spacecraft, satellites, stations and more, structure is needed in some capacity in the cosmos. Students at the University of Colorado Boulder have the opportunity to be the next generation to formulate that space infrastructure. The university was recently granted a $2.5 million gift from long-time donors Dale and Patricia Hatfield, according to a press release from CU. The funding will be used to establish the Hatfield Endowed Professorship in Space Policy and Law. The school said that the new professorship will drive teaching and research on space policy and law, with broad implications for national security, global communications, navigation, weather forecasting and international collaboration. 'As humanity ventures beyond our planet, space law and policy have emerged as a new frontier, offering vast opportunities to shape the future of space exploration and utilization,' said donor Dale Hatfield. 'The realm of space beckons a new generation to establish the legal and policy frame that will govern our cosmic endeavors.' The multi-faceted position will work in different capacities every two years, alternating between the College of Engineering and Applied Science, the Leeds School of Business and the Silicon Flatirons Center at Colorado Law. This allows the students to learn about the future of space governance from a variety of perspectives. North America's second-oldest nudist resort is turning 90 — and it's here in Colorado The position will start with Professor Marcus J. Holzinger of aerospace engineering sciences as the inaugural Hatfield Endowed Professor. The university said that he brings expertise in space policy, domain awareness, development and strategy. Helzinger plans to focus on policy research, combining astrodynamics and geopolitics to build a future in space-based democratic norms. For more information on the Hatfield Endowed Professorship, visit the CU Office of Advancement website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
10 strangest objects floating in space
When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 in 1957, it marked the beginning of humanity's presence beyond Earth. But in the decades since, we've done more than just launch satellites and scientific instruments into orbit — we've sent art, ashes, accidents, and outright oddities. Some objects were placed in space on purpose, symbolic gestures meant to inspire or amuse. Others were lost by accident, abandoned or forgotten during ambitious missions. Still more were part of bizarre Cold War schemes or questionable experiments that never quite panned out. Let's start with the obvious – astronauts pee. But when you're in a cramped spacecraft hurtling around the Earth, waste disposal isn't as simple as flushing it away. For decades, urine produced aboard spacecrafts were simply released into space. Once expelled, it would instantly freeze into a cloud of tiny, glittering crystals — a twinkling, golden mist visible through the portholes. Some astronauts have even described the sight as beautiful. More recently, the International Space Station installed a high-tech filtration system to recycle urine into drinking water, a more sustainable approach to bodily waste in orbit. In 2018, SpaceX decided that a boring concrete test payload just wouldn't cut it for the maiden voyage of its Falcon Heavy rocket. Instead, Elon Musk launched his own cherry-red Tesla Roadster into space, complete with a spacesuit-wearing dummy named 'Starman' in the driver's seat. Originally aimed at a Mars orbit, the Tesla overshot and now loops around the sun every 557 days. It's become a sort of cosmic billboard for SpaceX, and you can track it live at According to the website, its travelled the equivalent of all the world's roads 91 times without ever stopping for a recharge. Not all space toys are left behind by accident. In 2011, NASA launched the Juno probe toward Jupiter — and with it, three tiny Lego figurines made from aluminium to withstand the brutal radiation of the gas giant. The minifigs represent Jupiter, the Roman king of the gods; Juno, his wife; and Galileo Galilei, the first person to observe Jupiter's largest moons. The inclusion was a collaboration with the Lego Group aimed at inspiring young people to engage with science and space. Hurtling through interstellar space, the twin Voyager spacecraft carry one of humanity's most ambitious attempts at cosmic communication: a pair of gold-plated phonograph records. The records, curated by a team led by Carl Sagan, include greetings in 55 languages, recordings of a baby crying and a heartbeat, the sound of waves, and music from across human history — including Bach, Beethoven, and Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode.' There are also 155 images encoded into the disc, showing everything from city streets to diagrams of DNA. The records are meant for any alien civilisations that might stumble upon them. It seems only right that Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, should find his final resting place among the stars. Though previous attempts to launch his ashes into space either failed or ended in atmospheric reentry, a successful launch finally took place in January 2024. This time, a portion of Roddenberry's ashes made it beyond the Earth-Moon system and into deep space, where they will drift forever. We've left a lot of junk up there — and it's starting to get dangerous. Space debris includes everything from dead satellites and spent rocket boosters to flecks of paint and broken antennae. Some pieces travel at over 17,000 mph, fast enough to cause catastrophic damage on impact. The problem has grown so severe that experts warn of the potential for 'Kessler syndrome' — a chain-reaction of collisions that could make Earth's orbit unusable for decades. In 1969, artist Forrest Myers devised a plan to smuggle art onto the Moon aboard Apollo 12. NASA wasn't interested, so Myers covertly handed off a tiny ceramic tile etched with artwork from six famous artists — including Andy Warhol — to an insider working on the lunar lander. The tile, dubbed the 'Moon Museum,' was reportedly installed without NASA's knowledge. Warhol later claimed his contribution was just his initials. But the etching looks very much like a crude drawing of male genitalia. In 2008, astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper was performing maintenance outside the ISS when she lost her grip on a toolbag. The 30-pound bag, filled with grease guns and a scraper, drifted slowly away, becoming one of the most expensive pieces of space litter in history. Amateur astronomers spotted it from Earth in the weeks that followed, and skywatchers could track it using satellite monitoring websites. In the Cold War era, the US feared Soviet attacks on underwater communication cables. The solution? Launch 480 million copper needles into space to create an artificial ionosphere for bouncing radio signals around the globe. The 1963 experiment, called Project West Ford, mostly failed. Most of the needles eventually fell back to Earth and burned up — but not all. Clumps of these tiny metallic slivers still orbit the Earth today, serving as a strange reminder of just how far Cold War paranoia was willing to go. Orbiting Earth and spinning once every minute is a mysterious 60-foot-long object known as J002E3. First detected in September 2002 by an amateur astronomer as it drifted through the constellation Pisces, the object was initially mistaken for an asteroid. But further analysis revealed it was not natural — it was built by humans. Experts now believe it's likely the long-lost third stage of the Apollo 12 rocket, which launched to the Moon in 1969 and was thought to have vanished into deep space.
Russia Today
21-04-2025
- Science
- Russia Today
Before they become doctors or space engineers, they learn Russian in Africa
There are many facets of the friendship between Russia and Tanzania, but perhaps the most significant is in the realm of education. Over many decades, thousands of Tanzanian students have benefited from scholarships and specialized training offered by the Russian government, stretching from Soviet times to today. Daria Ilienko, the acting director of the Russian Cultural Centre, shared a remarkable statistic with RT: 'The Russian government has long provided opportunities for higher education, and today, over 5,000 graduates are making a difference in their communities back home since the Soviet era.' Russia has a rich history in astronomy and space exploration, having been the first country to send a human into space in April 1961 when it was part of the Soviet Union. It also launched the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957. Against this strong background, Tanzanian students have an opportunity to study astronomy and space technology in Russia. This comes at a time when Tanzania is planning to establish a space agency and launch its own satellite to enhance communications, defense, security, research, disaster management, and weather forecasting. Another key area of study for Tanzanian students is agriculture, particularly fertilizer production. Russia is one of the world's top fertilizer producers, competing closely with China, Canada, and Morocco. Tanzanian students are also exploring medicine, engineering, and information technology in Sepetu, one of Tanzania's early elites educated in the USSR, earned a Master of Science in Electronics from the Polytechnic Institute in the 1970s and was among the first Tanzanian students to come to the USSR. He recounts his transformative journey during his time in Russia, highlighting the rich experiences he had with the language and culture during his stay in Moscow. Upon arrival, Bernard faced a daunting challenge: a complete lack of familiarity with the Russian language. Despite his multilingual background, which included Kiswahili, English, and his native language, the Cyrillic alphabet and Russian phonetics were entirely new to him. 'When the plane touched down, it carried about 100 eager Tanzanian students, ready to embark on their studies in the Soviet Union – a country famed for its educational aid to African nations during that era. We were brimming with excitement, unaware of the linguistic storm that awaited us,' Sepetu recalls. 'I had been taught that English was a global lingua franca, save for a few French-speaking enclaves. So, I naturally assumed that Russian, too, would have some semblance of English. 'Imagine my surprise when the very first Russian official directing us on the plane spoke not a word of English. I could not decipher a single phrase he uttered. The only Russian word I encountered was 'tuda', which I later learned meant 'move.' It was both confusing and fascinating, like discovering a new world through a cryptic code.' 'Stepping out of the plane and into Moscow was like entering a new world,' Sepetu continues. 'The skyline was adorned with magnificent, ornate buildings and the streets thrummed with a vibrancy I had never seen before. Yet, amidst this breath-taking beauty, the language remained an enigma.' Daily life in Moscow was a complex tapestry of gestures and improvisation. Communication often boiled down to non-verbal cues and trial-and-error exchanges. At the local market, Sepetu and his fellow students devised a method to manage transactions despite their limited Russian. 'We received around 90 rubles for daily expenses, but understanding the cost in shillings was tricky. To simplify things, we would give the cashier 10 rubles and receive change. If we needed to make a small additional purchase, managing the payment became a challenge. Nevertheless, the cashiers were always generous and honest, ensuring we received the correct change,' Sepetu Soviet educational system soon recognized the need for a more structured approach to language learning. Sepetu and his peers were immersed in a year-long language course, dedicated entirely to learning Russian. This immersive environment was critical for their academic success, as all lectures and interactions were conducted in Russian. Sepetu's perseverance and the support from his Russian hosts – particularly through social gatherings and friendships – played a significant role in his language acquisition. 'Weekends were often filled with gatherings where we mingled and made friends. These interactions fueled our desire to learn Russian more quickly,' Berbard notes. By the end of the year, Sepetu had achieved a functional grasp of Russian, enabling him to engage effectively with both students and professors. His return to Tanzania in the late 1970s saw him leveraging his Russian language skills in his role at the Russian Cultural Centre. Although his proficiency waned initially, his work in translating academic transcripts and later literary works for Tanzanian students seeking admission to Russian universities kept his skills sharp. 'The process of translation involved meticulous attention to detail. I relied on dictionaries, extensive reading, and clarifications for unfamiliar expressions. With guidance from the Centre, I was able to navigate these challenges,' Sepetu explains. By contrast, Boniface Assenga's experience offers a contemporary glimpse into studying Russian, reflecting both the evolution of educational practices and the enduring challenges of language acquisition. As a projects manager at the Russia's Cultural Centre of the Russian federal agency for international cooperation, 'Rossotrudnichestvo', Assenga embarked on his academic journey with a clear goal: to pursue his dream of becoming a scholar in Russia. Assenga, who studied economics in Russia from 2005 to 2011, began his journey with an intensive year-long language course. The course, supplemented by seminars and small-group classes, provided targeted assistance and clarified complex concepts. Despite the initial difficulties, Assenga's dedication and the supportive environment at the educational institutions played a crucial role in his progress. 'Learning Russian was initially challenging, but the seminars and follow-up classes offered invaluable support. The small groups and attentive lecturers made a significant difference in grasping difficult concepts,' Boniface recalls. Over nearly five years in Russia, Assenga's proficiency in Russian continued to evolve. Daily interactions with native speakers and participation in various events at the center helped him further refine his language skills. 'Even after my initial year of intensive learning, Russian remained a work in progress. Conversations with guests at the center and everyday interactions were essential in expanding my knowledge and improving my fluency,' he says. To address the challenge of language for the first timers in Russia the center has made a lot of strides to teach students the Russian language before they come to Russia for studies. Assenga told RT that recently they have been organizing a program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzaniafor successful candidates where they undergo an eight-month Russian language course at a cultural center to prepare them for their studies and facilitate their integration into Russian society. 'It's essential for students to study the Russian language for eight months because all communication and coursework will be conducted in Russian. Proficiency in the language will also help students secure temporary jobs, providing additional income during their studies,' Assenga emphasizes. This scholarship initiative not only highlights the ongoing educational collaboration between Russia and Tanzania but also aims to equip the next generation of Tanzanian leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to drive the country's development. Last summer, Russia announced 90 scholarships for Tanzanian students, providing an opportunity to study at some of the nation's leading universities. Boniface Assenga told RT that 90 students had already travelled to Russia to pursue their studies in the universities of Tula, Tomsk, and St. Petersburg, after being admitted for the 2024-2025 academic year. 'This is a fully funded scholarship, covering all tuition costs for the duration of their studies – whether three, four, or five years – fully paid by the Russian government,' Assenga says. The initiative not only reflects the enduring partnership between the two nations but also highlights the transformative power of education. 'We are not taking the best brains [away] from Tanzania; rather, we are fostering their development so that the knowledge they gain abroad can be applied to benefit Tanzania,' Daria Ilienko explains. Boniface Assenga clarifies that while the scholarships cover full tuition, they do not include travel expenses, accommodation, meals, or local transportation. To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must meet certain academic criteria. Students who have completed their A-levels must have achieved a minimum of Division II, while those seeking to pursue a bachelor's degree must have a diploma with a GPA of at least 3.5. For master's candidates, a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.5 or higher is required, and PhD applicants must possess a master's degree with the same GPA threshold. Applications for scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year are now open. Once prospective students complete their applications, they are encouraged to visit the Russian Cultural Centre to meet with Education and Development Manager Elena Simonova. She will assist with any queries and ensure that all documentation is in order before students submit their applications online. In an interview with RT, Leah Mshana, a graduate from Jenista Mhagama Secondary School eager to seize the scholarship opportunity, expressed her long-standing dream of studying in Russia. 'I learned about the scholarship through my brother, who is currently studying there. His experiences and insights about Russian education have inspired me to excel in my studies and pursue this opportunity. I am determined to apply for the next academic admission.' 'This scholarship initiative not only highlights the ongoing educational collaboration between Russia and Tanzania but also aims to equip the next generation of Tanzanian leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to drive the country's development forward,' Mshana says.
