Requires Flash Player 8 - Click Here to download

Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi announced today that the Cradle of Aviation Museum will be featuring a month-long series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Sputnik satellite that started the “Space Race”. A full-size replica of Sputnik, a gift to the museum from the former Soviet government in the 1980’s, will be displayed as part of the exhibit.

“Sputnik changed the world and changed the course of history and since we were in the midst of the Cold War, its launch stunned the American people,” said County Executive Suozzi. “We are lucky to have this Sputnik replica at the Museum because not only is it is a very valuable tool for teaching future generations about the very beginnings of the space program, it also symbolizes the current friendship between the United States and Russia.”

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik - the first man-made satellite - into orbit on October 4, 1957, carrying batteries and a radio transmitter and allowed for the first scientific experiments beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. Two additional Sputniks later orbited with massive satellites. Sputnik’s launch is widely credited with sparking the beginning of the international “Space Race” and one year later, the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

“Space Race Month” at the Cradle of Aviation will last through the month of October and will feature programs that include “Project Mercury Weekend”, where children can make their own Mercury capsule; and “Gemini Weekend”, that allows children to launch their own Gemini spaceship on a levitator track. For a complete schedule of “Space Race Month”, please visit the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s website at www.cradleofaviation.org