Aliens, unchecked

[Catholicity]

Personally, I don't believe they're species from another planet. It's either covert technology, or it's probably supernatural.

I doubt it's technology by an adversary because if we assume it's either china or russia (the two developing countries that would likely have it), in light of the cold war situation we're in right now, I doubt either country would actually hide this technology instead of using it as a deterred threat against the US. They'd be gloating to the world that they have this technology. US has a long history of keeping things under wraps for many years before disclosure.

Sputnik was never acknowledged until later.

[Cow Poke]

Occasionally sudden acceleration and stopping can be explained as a result of perspective. I used live near Dobbins AFB and some times when something (especially at night or dawn/twilight) that is flying toward you from a distance away can appear to be hovering in place. So when an aircraft that's a good distance and flying across the sky banks sharply toward you but maintains altitude, it can, at times, look like the aircraft came to a stop. The same if its flying away.

Absolutely --- we used to hang out, when our kids were little, under the flight path of Houston's airport, and sometimes the planes would look like they were just hanging there in the air, not even moving.

It was free entertainment, and the kids loved watching the planes come and go, and waving at the people in them that they could not see.

[seanD]

Sputnik was never acknowledged until later.

Was Sputnik a direct threat to the US? I think not. The objects buzzing around US aircraft and military bases are threatening. Obviously whoever is behind it is not being covert about it and want us to know it exists.

[rogue06]

Sputnik was never acknowledged until later.

The launch of Sputnik resulted in an immediate push in our schools to teach more math and science classes, such as the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) the next year, as well as spurred the Space Race.

[Juvenal]

Sputnik was never acknowledged until later.

That's not true.

[CivilDiscourse]

Was Sputnik a direct threat to the US? I think not. The objects buzzing around US aircraft and military bases are threatening. Obviously whoever is behind it is not being covert about it and want us to know it exists.

Sputnik? It was a little radio beacon. That wasn't a threat. The proven ability to use rockets to put objects into orbit, including warheads, that could then potentially fall down at any place on the planet? That was a threat. Sputnik represented a very, very large threat from the Soviet Union.

[Cow Poke]

Was Sputnik a direct threat to the US? I think not. The objects buzzing around US aircraft and military bases are threatening. Obviously whoever is behind it is not being covert about it and want us to know it exists.

The only "threat" was to our national ego, that they had done something we thought we would do first. And, yeah, it was certainly a type of digital communication (middle finger) to the US.

[seanD]

Sputnik? It was a little radio beacon. That wasn't a threat. The proven ability to use rockets to put objects into orbit, including warheads, that could then potentially fall down at any place on the planet? That was a threat. Sputnik represented a very, very large threat from the Soviet Union.

Well, assuming Sputnik was covert (apparently others are saying it wasn't), it's not the same threat as the recent UFO sightings government is reporting and what they claim they're doing, so it's really a moot point, nor is the geopolitical situation really the same.

[Faber]

The only "threat" was to our national ego, that they had done something we thought we would do first. And, yeah, it was certainly a type of digital communication (middle finger) to the US.

It was a threat to that poor little mongrel pup they threw into the sputnik. The poor thing was traumatized to death.
Laika.jpg

[CivilDiscourse]

Well, assuming Sputnik was covert (apparently others are saying it wasn't), it's not the same threat as the recent UFO sightings government is reporting and what they claim they're doing, so it's really a moot point, nor is the geopolitical situation really the same.

No, Sputnik was not covert. It was a public relations win to be the first country into space. In fact, the reason it was a radio beacon was so that it's signal could be picked up as Sputnik circumnavigated the globe, proving soviet scientific superiority.

[Cow Poke]

No, Sputnik was not covert. It was a public relations win to be the first country into space. In fact, the reason it was a radio beacon was so that it's signal could be picked up as Sputnik circumnavigated the globe, proving soviet scientific superiority.

It was covert until they launched it, then they made it very "in your face".

[rogue06]

Sputnik? It was a little radio beacon. That wasn't a threat. The proven ability to use rockets to put objects into orbit, including warheads, that could then potentially fall down at any place on the planet? That was a threat. Sputnik represented a very, very large threat from the Soviet Union.

It was the launch of Sputnik and not so much Sputnik itself that was the threat. Them Rooskies coulda launched a pot of old Mrs. Sokolov's borscht for all the difference that would have made

[rogue06]

It was covert until they launched it, then they made it very "in your face".

IIRC they announced their plans the previous year, or maybe two, earlier

That's why a few folks move the start of the Space Race back to that point.

[CivilDiscourse]

It was covert until they launched it, then they made it very "in your face".

No, they actually announced it earlier, it just didn't attract attention.

[Cow Poke]

No, they actually announced it earlier, it just didn't attract attention.

Ok, it was covert until they announced it, then it was definitely "in your face".