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Sputnik I - in Christchurch newspapers

Sputnik I, from the NASA websiteNo fewer than 83 reports were carried by The Christchurch Star-Sun and The Press in the first ten days after the launch of Sputnik I.

What follows is a list of articles available for public viewing on microfilm at the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre.

Dated October 5 to October 15, 1957, the articles feature local reaction to the story, graphics mapping the satellite's trajectory over New Zealand and sightings from around the country of the satellite and its rocket.

Newspaper articles

  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Soviet launches earth satellite” 5/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Soviet plans large man-made satellites” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Experiment only, says scientist” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Satellite poses a life-death quer'‘” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Americans staggered by new Russian scientific success” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Russian official proud” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Dunedin man hears signals at week-end” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Invercargill misses out on satellite” 7/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Man's conquest of outer space begins” 7/10/1957, p. 7
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Soviet satellite in space opens big question” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “U.S. satellite reactions” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Historic moment' – Professor Lawden” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “184lb Russian satellite close to N.Z.” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Echoes not coming from satellite'‘” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Amateur radio operators follow signals” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Russian satellite is crossing N.Z. only in daylight” 7/10/1957, p. 9
  • The Press “Russian earth satellite” 7/10/1957, p. 10
  • The Press “Soviet satellite may be visible in New Zealand” 7/10/1957, p. 10
  • The Press “”A stupendous achievement” Professor Lawden's view” 7/10/1957, p. 10
  • The Press “Russia launches satellite” 7/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Press “Facts and figures” 7/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Press “Satellite will pass over all countries” 7/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Press “Signals in code” 7/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Press “Soviet success shocks U.S.” 7/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Press “American test” 7/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Rocket carrier following satellite has been drawn within orbit” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun ”U.S. rocket ready to rush beyond Russians'‘ satellite” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Sighting reports queried” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “She 'heard' the satellite” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “New Zealanders may see satellite again to-night” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun No meaning from satellite's signals” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Satellite seen from city as bright light” 8/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Press “Satellite sighted by man in Christchurch” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Press “Reports in Dunedin” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Press “Wellington sightings” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Press “Satellite's paths” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Press “Fruitless watch in Auckland” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Press “Appeal to radio amateurs” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Press “General news – Of satellites” 8/10/1957, p. 8
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Throw your bombers on fire'‘ advises Khrushchev” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “What a satellite can tell” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'First' photographs of satellite taken” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Transmitter appears to be fading” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun ”Satellite seen by many people last night” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Satellite due soon after 8 p.m.” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Congress probes U.S. missile race 'failure'” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Interrogation of satellite?'” 9/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Press “Satellites orbit study continues in Christchurch” 9/10/1957, p. 7
  • The Press “How the satellite remains in orbit” 9/10/1957, p. 13
  • The Press “Plans for U.S. rocket” 10/10/1957, p. 13
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Sputnik' is not tumbling” 10/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun ”No landings on moon for generations, says expert” 10/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Man-made meteorites from Russian Satellite predicted” 10/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Rocket nearer earth” 10/10/1957 p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Transmitter output weak at Auckland” 10/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Pravda' tells how the satellite was carried by rocket” 10/10/1957, p. 15
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Three 'objects' circling round globe to-day” 10/10/1957, p. 15
  • The Press “Paths of the space satellite” 10/10/1957, p. 7
  • The Press “Reports wanted on satellite sightings” 10/10/1957, p. 7
  • The Press “Rocket, not satellite, seen over Canterbury” 10/10/1957, p. 14
  • The Press “Photograph of satellite” 10/10/1957, p. 14
  • The Press “Film record of satellite” 10/10/1957, p. 14
  • The Press “Progress of satellite” 10/10/1957, p. 15
  • The Press “Tracking of orbit” 10/10/1957, p. 15
  • The Press “'Pravda' gives details of launching” 10/10/1957 p. 20
  • The Press “Little loss of speed” 10/10/1957, p. 20
  • The Press “Future plans of Russia” 10/10/1957, p. 20
  • The Press “Link with Lord Rutherford” 10/10/1957, p. 20
  • The Press “First U.S. satellite 'within two or three months'” 10/10/1957, p. 20
  • The Press “No satellite for Britain” 10/10/1957, p. 20
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Times to see rocket from city” 11/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “'Satellite' seen beneath Venus last night” 11/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “British government urges U.S. to drop secrecy” 11/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Students' moon scares Tasmania” 11/10/1957, p. 11
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “U.S. press critical of Mr Eisenhower‘s satellite statement” 11/10/1957, p. 18
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Satellite may record photographs” 11/10/1957, p. 18
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Satellite's rocket casing moves nearer earth” 12/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Times to see rocket from city” 12/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Students plot the satellite” 12/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Rockets timed by city physicists” 12/10/1957, p. 3
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Soviet satellite is expected to stay aloft for a year” 14/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Soviet rocket should be seen to-night” 14/10/1957, p. 1
  • The Christchurch Star-Sun “Tracking the satellite: first stage of man's journey into space” 15/10/1957, p. 9