50 years of space flight, and the technology it brings.

It's been 50 years since the Soviet Union launched the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, into orbit in 1957, ushering in the Age of Space Flight. Later that year, the Soviets launched the first live passenger into space, a dog named Laika, earning that mission the nickname "Muttnick" back in the United States. The U.S. government was taking the Soviets' successes quite seriously, however, because it recognized the real danger that the Soviets would soon be able to launch nuclear weapons around the world. Rockets carrying such a payload would be known as Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's), and could not be stopped by any means available, then or now.

The following year, the United States created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lead the development of our space technology. Besides just the military applications, there was also the issue of pride, whereas the Americans would not be outdone by the Russians.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the Apollo program, with its aim to land a man on the moon, and return him safely back to Earth. That goal would be achieved in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission, when Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon, the only celestial body besides Earth that humans have ever walked upon. His most famous quote, "That's one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind" was an inspirational commentary on just how far mankind had progressed technologically, and what was possible when our minds were set to a task.

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The achievement did indeed represent a pivotal point in history, and returned the proverbial "technological crown" to America.

Since then, there have been a few orbiting space stations, such as Skylab, Mir, and now the International Space Station, which is a collaborative effort of several nations, including our old Cold War adversaries, the Russians. The space station allows scientists to conduct experiments in extremely low gravity, or micro-gravity.

Other technologies that are now possible due to satellites include cellular phone capabilities, advanced weather monitoring, global position systems (GPS), and deep space exploration, such as the Hubble Telescope.

The U.S. Space Shuttle program created a reusable space ship that introduced a re-entry vehicle that returned to earth more like a glider plane than by splashing down in an ocean to be retrieved by the Navy. However, space flight remains risky, as the fatal disasters of Challenger and Columbia demonstrated.

We have also sent robotic explorers into space with missions such as Voyager, and the Mars mission rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Robots are safer than risking astronauts' lives.

More countries are pursuing space technology, including China, Japan, and India. In 2003, China became only the third country to ever launch a human into space. They are planning on landing on the moon by 2020.