Sputnik's 50th Anniversary Video -- National Geographic

Sputnik's 50th Anniversary Video October 3, 2007—Tomorrow marks fifty years since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, ushering in a new age of exploration—and competition.Welcome to the National Geographic video player.Video Sections

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Space & Tech News
- $20-Million Contest Announced - April 2, 2008—Scotland plans to award 10 million pounds (about 20 million U.S. dollars) for the first viable technology to harness the sea's energy for electricity.
- "Death Star" Galaxy a Bully? - December 18, 2007—A supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy is blasting another galaxy with a violent energy jet. NASA images capture the display.
- "Emotional" Robots Debut - July 30, 2008—A childlike robot and six-legged machine display the latest in human-robot interaction in London. One responds to touch with its "heart." The other robot focuses on faces.
- "Ghostly" Audio Is Oldest Known - March 31, 2008—"It's ghostly. It's magic, " said an expert who heard the 1860 French recording of a human voice. The audio predates Edison's recording by 17 years.
- "Kite Ship" to Use Wind Power - January 17, 2008—Not a sailboat and not a parachute—this German-built ship aims to save fuel by towing a kite to capture wind power high above the water.
- "Lawn Mower" Dinosaur Debuts - November 15, 2007—Lawn mower to the ferns of Africa, the 500-toothed Nigersaurus was unlike any other. A reconstruction goes on display today at National Geographic in Washington.
- "Robo-Fish" Flap Plastic Fins - March 17, 2008—Electricity stimulates artificial "muscle" in new robotic fish. "When you excite them with electricity they change size...they look alive, " says one scientist.
- "Solar Taxi" Arrives in India - November 7, 2007—A Swiss adventurer is taking his solar-powered car on a world tour to promote conservation. His latest stop is in India.
- "Toilet" House Makes a Point - November 12, 2007—A South Korean house built to look like a toilet is no joke. Its owner aims to raise awareness about the importance of sanitation.
- 'Mutant' Mosquitoes Created - June 20, 2008— U.K. scientists are genetically modifying mosquitoes to be resistant to malaria, which kills millions annually. But some experts fear these supermosquitoes would upset the ecosystem.
- 1st Antarctic Airliner Landing - December 13, 2007—An Australian passenger jet touched down on an ice runway in Antarctica this week. Flights for scientific teams are to begin next week.
- Airbus Delivers New Jumbo Jet - October 15, 2007—After a two-year delay, Airbus has finally delivered the A380, the world's largest passenger jet. The plane will make its inaugural flight on October 25.
- Airbus Jumbo Jet Takes Off - October 25, 2007—After a 2-year delay in delivery, the super jumbo Airbus A380 jet made its first commercial flight Thursday from Singapore to Sydney, Australia.
- Antarctica Images Best Yet - November 28, 2007—A nearly cloudless satellite image is the most geographically accurate and true-color map of the southern continent—at ten times the resolution of previous NASA views.
- Asteroid Seen in Close Flyby - September 8, 2008—The space probe Rosetta made a close flyby of asteroid Steins, some hundreds of millions of miles from earth, and transmitted high-resolution photos.
- Astronauts Install New Lab - February 11, 2008—Two astronauts ventured from the International Space Station Monday to begin the planned seven-hour installation of the European Space Agency's 10-ton laboratory, Columbus.
- Astronauts Install New Tower - October 30, 2007—Astronauts install a solar power tower on the International Space Station and consider extending their mission.
- Astronauts on 2nd Space Walk - February 13, 2008—Atlantis Astronauts conduct the second of three planned space walks, this one to install the International Space Station's new nitrogen tank.
- Astronomy Village Stays Dark - October 29, 2007—A stargazer's retreat, Deerlick Astronomy Village has strict has lights-out rules so vacationing astronomers can get a better view of the Georgia sky.
- Atom Smasher Safe, Physicists Say - June 30, 2008—Scientists say there is no chance that Europe's Large Hadron Collider will produce an apocalyptic black hole or deadly catastrophe when testing begins in August.
- Atom Smasher Starts Up - September 10, 2008—The biggest science experiment ever has begun underneath Europe. Scientists hope the Large Hadron Collider will recreate conditions like those just after the big bang.
- Bionic Eye Developed - April 22, 2008—A tiny camera can transmit images to the brain through the optic nerve, offering hope for restored vision to those blinded by disease.
- Bionic Eye Unveiled - May 7, 2008—Doctors in Australia believe the bionic eye they've created is safer than similar devices developed in other countries.
- Can Light Cure Arctic Blues? - January 3, 2008—Lapland's long winter nights can start with 2 p.m. sunsets. When so much darkness gets people down, bright lights can be used as therapy.
- Cheaper Solar? Just Add Steam - June 16, 2008— In the Israeli desert, a U.S.-Israeli team is testing a new technology that uses mirrors to harness the sun's rays and create electricity-producing steam.
- Chimps Outscore Humans - December 4, 2007—Young chimps beat humans and even college students in a series of cognitive tests to measure short-term memory, Japanese scientists are reporting.
- China, Brazil Share Satellite - November 30, 2007—Satellites and ocean buoys help scientists understand changing weather, bringing some countries—like Brazil and China—together. Specialists were gearing up for major climate talks in Indonesia.
- Climate Change Satellite Launched - June 20, 2008—Early today NASA launched its new satellite, Jason 2, which will monitor how ocean masses move in an effort to understand climate change's effects.
- Commercial Jet Uses Biofuel - February 25, 2008—The first commercial jet flight powered with biofuel lands in Amsterdam. Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747 used a biofuel mixture in one of its fuel tanks.
- Computer Viruses Shown as Art - March 7, 2008—They may cripple your desktop, but computer viruses can also be stunningly beautiful to look at, as an art exhibition in London shows.
- Could New Russian Line Leak? - November 20, 2007—The world's largest oil and gas project could be damaged by erosion and seismic activity, say environmentalists concerned about the Russian island that hosts the soon-to-be-completed pipelines and plant.
- Dental Robot "Feels" Pain - November 29, 2007—A new robot yelps when dental students drill too close to sensors that have been fitted where nerve endings would be.
- Dog Cloning Sparks Debate - July 25, 2008—A U.S. biotech company's auction fetched more than $135,000 each from four owners eager to clone their canines. Yet opponents say the technology is flawed.
- Drug-Sniffing Dog Cloned - April 25, 2008—Officials in South Korea have high hopes for the noses of seven Labrador retrievers cloned from a star drug-sniffing canine.
- Electric Boost for Reefs - December 5, 2007—Electrical charges cause a chemical reaction that spurs growth in ailing coral.
- Electricity Made From Rain? - April 4, 2008—Nanotechnology scientists are working to generate electricity from raindrops. Could it be the ultimate form of clean energy?
- Expedition Measures Polar Ice - October 17, 2007—Explorers have set off to make the first accurate measurements of the polar ice cap's thickness in the North Pole, data that will help scientists understand global warming.
- Fearless Mice Created in Japan - December 13, 2007—Researchers in Japan have genetically modified mice to make them unafraid of cats.
- Glow-in-the-Dark Cats Cloned - December 14, 2007—Scientists in South Korea have cloned cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet rays. The cats might someday help cure genetic diseases.
- Green Dream Machines Debut - July 22, 2008—By turns spacey, electric, and just plain cute, fuel-saving car designs from Ford, Saab, Mini, and others took center stage at the British International Motor Show.
- High-Tech Turtles Return to Sea - June 3, 2008—After being rescued by fishers, five sea turtles were equipped with mini-computers to help study behavior, then set free.
- Holograms Get Art "Talking" - March 19, 2008—Art comes "alive" in a South Korean hologram exhibit that includes 3-D animations of da Vinci's "Last Supper" and "Mona Lisa," the Associated Press reports.
- Huge Space Lab Installed - June 4, 2008—Watch spacewalking astronauts and robot arms remove a bus-size Japanese lab from the shuttle Discovery and attach the module to the International Space Station.
- Human Waste Powers Streetlights - December 10, 2007—A bio-gas plant in an Indian town generates 3,000 watts of electricity a day—from human waste.
- Iran Pushes Science - February 5, 2008—Embryonic stem cell research, animal cloning, and a controversial nuclear program are part of Iran's efforts to establish itself as a science and technology leader.
- Iran Reports Rocket Launch - February 4, 2008—Iran says it opened a new space center Monday and launched the country's first rocket to reach space, according to state-run media.
- Japan Displays Robo History - October 19, 2007—A new exhibition celebrates Japan's long history in the field of robotics, bringing together some of the best known prototypes.
- Jets Mined for Parts, Homes - July 16, 2008—At a major aircraft trade show in England, recycling of plane parts is on the agenda—while in California, yesterday's 747 is tomorrow's house.
- Korean Astronaut Blasts Off - April 8, 2008—South Korea's first astronaut, a woman named Yi So-yeon, and two cosmonauts took off in a Russian spacecraft for the International Space Station on Tuesday.
- Korean Astronaut Docks at ISS - April 11, 2008—The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Yi So-yeon and two Russian cosmonauts docked successfully Thursday with the International Space Station.
- Lab Probes Universe's Secrets - May 12, 2008—In a laboratory under the Swiss Alps, a 17-mile (27-kilometer) circular particle accelerator—the world's largest—may help answer the oldest questions known to humans.
- Largest Ferris Wheel Debuts - April 16, 2008—Amid colorful fireworks, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong inaugurated the more than 500-foot-tall (150-meter-tall) Singapore Flyer, billed as the world's largest observation wheel.
- Largest Ferris Wheel Opens - February 28, 2008—At 541 feet tall, the Singapore Flyer is the world's largest observation wheel. The island city's sudden wind gusts were a challenge for designers.
- Mars Lander Begins Mission - May 27, 2008—NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has begun sending back images from the red planet after a smooth landing on Sunday.
- Microchips Keep Track of Elephants - October 25, 2007—An Indian state is implanting microchips under the skin of all its captive elephants as part of a project to register and keep track of the animals.
- Module Added to Space Station - October 29, 2007—Astronauts break in the new addition to the International Space Station, conduct a second space walk, and plan for a third.
- Monkey Embryo Cloned - November 15, 2007—Stem cells from cloned monkey embryos cause cautious optimism in scientists who say the advance may eventually lead to better human medical treatments.
- Monkeys' Brains Run Robotic Arm - May 30, 2008—Just by thinking, monkeys were able to control a robot arm to feed themselves. Watch this groundbreaking feat of mind over matter.
- Mystery of Auroras Solved? - July 24, 2008—For the first time, scientists may have found the triggers of space "explosions" that result in unusually bright auroras, also called the northern lights and southern lights.
- NASA Asteroid Mission Launch - September 27, 2007—NASA's DAWN spacecraft took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, this morning, kicking off its eight-year mission to study a pair of asteroids beyond Mars.
- New Robot Pharmacist - March 13, 2008—A drug-dispensing robot is filling many of the prescriptions at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Makers say the machine is more reliable than humans.
- Orphaned Grizzlies Released - July 15, 2008—Two GPS-tagged bears, nicknamed Suzy and Johnny, have been released in Canada as part of a look at whether captive-born bears can flourish in the wild.
- Partial Solar Eclipse Down Under - February 7, 2008—See the partial eclipse of the sun that delighted sky-watchers in Australia and New Zealand on February 7.
- Polar Probe to Land on Mars - May 22, 2008—NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to touch down near the planet's north pole Sunday and begin its search for signs of life on Mars.
- Rare Full Lunar Eclipse - February 21, 2008—The moon was covered by a reddish shadow visible throughout the Americas and elsewhere in the last total lunar eclipse until December 2010.
- Rare Nighttime Shuttle Launch - March 11, 2008—NASA's first nighttime launch since 2006 sent Endeavour on a 16-day space station mission. Astronauts will install a Canadian robot and a Japanese storage unit.
- Rat Heart Grown - January 15, 2008—Scientists re-created the heart of a rat and started it beating. The breakthrough could lead to the building of human organs.
- Robo-Toilets Take Japan - June 26, 2008—Equipped with buttons, gadgets, and widgets, Japan's hi-tech toilets can baffle the uninitiated.
- Robot Wars: Japan vs. S. Korea - June 19, 2008—Four leading Japanese robotic companies have joined forces to outcompete South Korea, which recently announced legislation to develop more robots for common household use.
- Robots "Express Themselves" - September 10, 2008—Developers have created robots that appear to make human expressions and show human-like emotions.
- Rocket Man Makes Debut Flight - May 16, 2008—Real-life rocket man Yves Rossy soared through the Alps this week on his first demonstration flight with a self-made flying contraption.
- Saturn Moon Flyby Coming Monday - August 8, 2008—To get the best look yet at the ice geysers and fissures on Saturn's moon Enceladus, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will fly within 30 miles of the satellite.
- Scientists Remake Bach Face - March 4, 2008—Forensic computer-modeling has helped to reconstruct Johan Sebastian Bach's head. Scientists say friends of the German composer—dead nearly 160 years—would recognize the new replica.
- Scientists Try to Train Fish - April 30, 2008—To help the ailing U.S. fishing industry, scientists are trying to train fish to respond to underwater sound, making them easier to catch.
- Shuttle Astronauts Space Walk - October 26, 2007—Discovery shuttle astronauts begin the difficult job of attaching an Italian-made module to the International Space Station. The project is expected to take ten days.
- Shuttle Discovery Launches - October 23, 2007—The space shuttle Discovery launched Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to expand the International Space Station.
- Shuttle Docks With Station - June 2, 2008—The NASA space shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station Monday, bringing a huge new Japanese lab.
- Shuttle Lands at Night - March 27, 2008—Completing the 22nd night landing in shuttle history, NASA's Endeavour landed successfully last night at Kennedy Space Center.
- Shuttle Lands in Florida - February 20, 2008—Atlantis and its crew safely landed at Kennedy Space Center, after the successful delivery and installation of a new lab for the International Space Station.
- Solar Cars Race in Australia - October 22, 2007—Futuristic cars from 17 countries set out to cross the continent yesterday in the 20th biennial World Solar Challenge.
- Solar Eclipse Coming August 1 - July 22, 2008—Parts of the Northern Hemisphere will soon see a rare total solar eclipse. Find out how it works, where to watch, and more.
- Solar Flares Cause "Sunquakes" - April 23, 2008—A new study reveals solar flares cause seismic waves to ripple across the sun's surface. The findings will help scientists study other stars.
- Space Shuttle Atlantis Launches - February 7, 2008—NASA launched the space shuttle Atlantis Thursday afternoon for a mission to attach the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station.
- Space Station Sees Hurricane - September 5, 2008—Astronauts on the International Space Station have a unique view of Hurricane Ike as it crosses the Atlantic Ocean.
- Space Tourism Ship Debuts - July 29, 2008—The first WhiteKnightTwo plane—designed to carry a smaller craft nearly to the edge of space—was unveiled by billionaire Richard Branson.
- Space Tourist Ship Unveiled - March 27, 2008—A U.S. company unveiled its two-seat ship for space tourists, Lynx, on Wednesday. It plans to begin test flights in 2010.
- Spacewalkers Assemble Robot - March 14, 2008—Spacewalking astronauts begin assembling Dextre, the space station's new robot.
- Spacewalkers Outfit New Lab - February 15, 2008—Astronauts installed a sun-monitoring device during the final space walk of the shuttle Atlantis's mission to deliver the Columbus lab to the Space Station.
- Spacewalkers Outfit Robot - March 18, 2008—Spacewalking astronauts attached tools to the International Space Station's new robot—called Dexter—during the current mission's third space walk.
- Speedboat Runs on Biofuel - May 20, 2008—A boat called Earthrace is on a mission to break the speed record for circumnavigating the globe—powered entirely by biodiesel.
- Spinning Skyscraper Planned - June 25, 2008—A shape-shifting skyscraper may someday energize the Dubai skyline with its revolving floors and environmentally friendly, electricity-generating wind turbines.
- Sputnik's 50th Anniversary - October 3, 2007—Tomorrow marks fifty years since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, ushering in a new age of exploration—and competition.
- Sub Conquers Deepest Lake - July 29, 2008—Russian scientists have reached the bottom Russia's Lake Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest. They'll study plants and animals as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) underwater.
- Taking A Bite Out of Banana Mess - June 27, 2008—Copious chemicals and plastic make conventional banana growing far from "green." But a remote university is producing eco-friendly bananas that may be in your local grocery.
- Tornado Town Goes Green - May 2, 2008—Greensburg, Kansas was nearly destroyed by a tornado in May 2007. Today the town is rebuilding, and living up to its "green" name.
- Tourist Spaceship Model Unveiled - January 24, 2008—Virgin Galactic's Richard Branson and aerospace designer Burt Rutan debuted a model of a ship planned to carry commercial passengers on a suborbital joyride within a few years.
- Transparent Frogs - October 1, 2007—Newly bred transparent frogs don't need to be dissected to see their internal organs and blood vessels.
- Ultra-Low-Cost Car Unveiled - January 10, 2008—Critics worry the new, super-low-cost car from India's Tata Motors—costing about $2,500—will cause more traffic and pollution by making car ownership affordable to millions more.
- Undersea "Wind Farms" Tested - May 1, 2008—An Australia company is testing what could be the undersea equivalent of a wind farm. Their devices would capture wave energy and convert it to electricity.
- Unmanned Ship to Space Station - March 10, 2008—A European spaceship is en route to become the first unmanned craft to dock with the International Space Station.
- Video Games Influence War Robots - August 12, 2008—Real-life war has long influenced video games, but now the shoe is on the other foot: gaming consoles are influencing the way military robots are controlled.
- Virtual Pompeii Created - April 18, 2008—European scientists have combined virtual reality with treadmills to allow users to "walk through" the ancient city as it looked before the devastating volcanic eruption.
- World Toilet Summit Under Way - November 2, 2007—Self-cleaning toilets and a fourteen-year-old inventor are part of this annual summit in India to address sanitation problems for 2.6 billion people without toilets.
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