rabid_fan wrote in newsan.2010.06.02.21.22.13
@righthere.net:

On Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:47:35 +0000, rabid_fan wrote:


The story is complex and perhaps best discussed in alt.history or
something.


Fortunately, I was able to locate an article on the web
that provides an excellent summary:

http://www.newsweek.com/2007/10/01/t...nik-story.html

Internet sources cannot (yet) compete with printed publications
for depth and comprehensiveness. But be assured that scholarly
works do exist that completely dispel the ridiculous notion
that the Sputnik launch was a "proof" of Soviet technical
superiority. Sputnik was a cheap sideshow, and nothing more.



Mr. Fan,

Thanks for the follow-up(s). The interesting part for me is that
my father-in-law is an 80-something cryogenic engineer who worked
in the Soviet rocketry programs, including the Buran. He retired
at 70, just before the fall of the USSR. After the fall, he realized
that there was no retirement check, he and his wife listened to
their only child and immigrated to the US. I am fortunate enough
to have married into this class family (my wife is a research doctor
of microbiology, her daughter is a cardiologist, my wife's ex is a
physicist still in Moscow). I have learned enough Russian to be able to
sit and enjoy his knowledge and tales.

He says that for every U.S. rocket loss, there were at least two for
the Reds. Also says that it was more a sheer miracle that Spudnik
(sic) made it. But the (Western) agitprop of the day lead the sheep to
think that the U.S. was trailing far behind. Even he knows better.

On top of what I have read and heard, he can dispel much of what has
been discussed in this thread... But then no one would believe what
he or I say... it's just the internet... and we like anonymity.