How to build your own Sputnik

It seems incredible that the technology that went into building the first successful satellite 50 years ago can now be found lying around the average house.

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?
Paul Rubens explains how you could build one yourself.

Fancy having a go?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7049002.stm

• Our thanks to Rob Mannion, the (eagle-eyed) editor of Practical Wireless magazine, for spotting this gem on the BBC website

• The United Kingdom Amateur Satellite organisation AMSAT-UK publish a quarterly newsletter full of latest information on Amateur Satellites.
Join now online at https://secure.amsat.org.uk/subscription/
For further information contact the secretary Jim Heck G3WGM
Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
Email: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: http://www.uk.amsat.org/