Friday, February 1, 2008

50th Anniversary of Explorer 1: America enters the Space Age

America has been a pioneer and is now an icon in the Space Age. Although it had stiff competition from the erstwhile Soviet Union over the control of space (ironic isn't it? While we are no more than specks of dust in the eyes of the massive Stars and humoungously powerful and almost-everlasting Black Holes, we puny humans talk of space domination), it has been able to overcome every potential threat to its hegemony and as of now stands heads and shoulders above fellow nations.
Although undoubtedly the watershed was the landing of the moon by Apollo 11 in 1969, it all started in this event- the successful launch of Explorer 1- America's first satellite, on January 31st 1958. By then, the Soviets had already sent their first animal into space.

SO let's celebrate with NASA the golden jubilee of this historic event- one that has been instrumental in various day-to-day services we avail of, like Google Earth.

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