DIY: Build Your Own Sputnik

If the relevance of this post doesn't blow your mind then its content surely will.

In 1957 the Sputnik 1 satellite was seen as a technological marvel, the result of many years work by some of the Soviet Union's most talented engineers and scientists. But by today's standards, was it really such a big deal? In 2007, how hard would it be to build a fully working Sputnik in the comfort of your own living room?

Armenia spent the greater part of the last century as a part of the mighty Soviet Union, so it's only fitting to pay tribute to Sputnik. I'm certain that many nameless Armenians worked tirelessly to make it a success, so this one's for them!

Here's how to build your own Sputnik

Brief History of Armenians and Astronomy

ArmeniaNow has a really interesting article that briefly looks at some of the many accomplishments of Armenians in the field of astronomy and space sciences. Here's an excerpt:

...long before – IV-III millennium BC -- some 30 kilometers east of Yerevan, one of the world’s oldest observatories looked to the sky perhaps for the same reasons the Russians and Americans would later fight to dominate it.

Though sadly deteriorating, patterns of night skies carved into rocks that became celestial maps for early astronomers can still be seen on a Metsamor hill. Fifty years? Hardly a flash compared to the centuries Armenians have been interested in the heavens.

I found this article very informative and interesting, to say the least. Check it out here.