Sputnik

the Manitowoc

Connection

Terry L. Dimmick 031807

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Back in the 50’s when things were just swell

– way back before digital, cable, and cell

with seams on our nylons and fins on our cars

we dreamed of the future

and looked to

the stars

Then – one day in October 1957 -

The Russians!

They beat us –

up into the heavens!

And then, just

to add to our

Cold War type

fears, TIME

named some

Russian guy

Man of the

Year!

One rocket for Russia

– one big leap for man.

On that fateful Red Monday

the Space Age began.

Sputnik 1 was the first -

a big shiny chrome ball -

but it wasn’t the last

there were 10 Sputniks in all!

The next carried Laika,

a cosmonaut pup.

Unfortunately - though

he survived the ride up,

and became the first space

traveler of the 20th century -

Sputnik II (and the doggy)

burned up on re-entry.

Sputnik III was cone-shaped with

antennas and arms and an instrument

payload (no critters were harmed).

Sputnik IV is

the one that has

caused all the

fuss – ‘cause it

went up over

there and came

down upon us!

It weighed five full tons – this big

Russian tin can, - and instead of a

dog, Sputnik IV held a man!

Well, not a real man in this Soviet rocket.

The word “dummy” you see, spelled in

Russian is “MAKET”.

It was a test run

for a real live

space man,

would ride

Sputnik next -

(at least that was

the plan)

As best-laid

plans go (for

both mice and

for men)

Sputnik IV had

some problems

and met a bad

end.

Did the rocket misfire?

Was some part out of place?

Well, they had one more first –

yes, the first

Did the rocket misfire?

Was some part out of place?

Well, they had one more first –

yes, the first

For two years, three months, and

some 20-odd days Sputnik IV

stayed aloft, then came down in a

blaze.

What goes up must come down,

that’s as true now as then.

The big

problem was

no one knew

where or

when.

With a whole

big wide world

where this

thing could

have crashed

and plenty of

oceans where

it could have

splashed -

What chance it would pick the Midwest to

come down? – and not just the Midwest

It came down in our town!

While most of the Sputnik

burned up from the heat,

a twenty-pound chunk came down on 8th Street and embedded itself in a three-inch-deep hole.

Later, found

by police

officers out

on patrol -

it was studied and photographed –

the news of the day!

Though it’s been part of a

Rahr-West display,

Manitowoc’s

ties to the early

space age

have been kind

of forgotten –

no longer

“front page”.

It’s time that this

oversight just

has to end.

SPUTNIKFEST

It’s Coming!

Tell all your friends.