Sputnik

 

History changed on 4 October 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the Space Age and the space race between the USA and USSR.

 

Sputnik was the first artificial satellite to be put into geocentric orbit. The satellite helped to identify the density of high atmospheric layers by its orbit change and provided data on radio-signal distribution in the ionosphere.

 

The Outer Space Treaty

 

The Outer Space Treaty represents the basic legal framework of international space law.

 

The Outer Space Treaty was considered by the Legal Subcommittee in 1966 and agreement was reached in the General Assembly in the same year (resolution 2222 (XXI). The Treaty was largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which had been adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 1962 (XVIII) in 1963, but added a few new provisions. The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967.

 

Official site: http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/SpaceLaw/outerspt.html

 

International Geophysical Year

 

Following a suggestion by NAS member Lloyd Berkner, the International Council of Scientific Unions in 1952 proposed a comprehensive series of global geophysical activities to span the period July 1957-December 1958.

 

The International Geophysical Year or IGY was an international scientific effort that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958.

 

The IGY encompassed eleven Earth sciences: aurora and airglow, cosmic rays, geomagnetism, glaciology, gravity, ionospheric physics, longitude and latitude determinations (precision mapping), meteorology, oceanography, seismology and solar activity. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union launched artificial satellites for this event; the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 of October 1957 was the first successful artificial satellite.

 

The IGY was intended to allow scientists from around the world to take part in a series of coordinated observations of various geophysical phenomena.

 

Although representatives of 46 countries originally agreed to participate in the IGY, by the close of the activity, 67 countries had become involved.

 

President Eisenhower expressed his belief that “the most important result of the International Geophysical Year is that demonstration of the ability of peoples of all nations to work together harmoniously for the common good. I hope this can become common practice in other fields of human endeavour.”

 

Official site: http://www.nas.edu/history/igy

 

Recommended links: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/dl/IGY/IGYdocuments.html