Nieces' Halloween!

Sputnik and Korolev...

Today is the 50th anniversary of the launch of "Sputnik," the opening event of the 20th century's "space race" between the former Soviet Union and the US.
Unknown at that time was the name of the person known as the "Chief Designer", a Ukranian/Russian scientist who was responsible for the creation and successful launch of the satellite.
Sergey Korolev was openly honored after his death in 1966 as the rocket scientist whose name had been a state secret. He spent most of his adult life learning, building and teaching about rockets except for 8 years which he spent in a Siberian Gulag for having angered Josef Stalin.