A lively and colorful collection of articles taking visitors back to those thrilling days of yesteryear, 1957 to be exact. The beginnings of man in space. From The New York Times on AOL.

Spacecraft and mission profile from the National Space Science Data Center.

Spacecraft and mission profile from the National Space Science Data Center.

NASA's retrospective story of Sputnik, including photos and references.

PBS NewsHour transcript discussing the significance of the Sputnik milestone.

Personal commentary about Sputnik the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Space Age.

Photos and information about the book by Paul Dickson, with the introductory chapter.