On the left Officer Marvin Bauch and the right Officer Ronald Rusboldt stand in the 600 block of North 8th St. at the spot where they discovered the remains of Russian Sputnik IV after it disintegrated at crash to earth 4:49 A.M. September 5, 1962.
On September 6th, 1962, Manitowoc residents were shocked by a headline in the local newspaper.
“Possible Remnant of Soviet Sputnik Found” was written in bold black lettering across the front page of the Herald Times Reporter.
24 hours earlier, the Sputnik IV spacecraft had begun plunging back to earth following some technical malfunctions, causing it to split into many pieces.
Much of the spacecraft is believed to have ended up in Lake Michigan, but one piece landed directly in the middle of North 8th Street, directly in front of the Rahr-West Art Museum.
The impact caused a circular crater in the roadway, which still remains to this day.
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of this once-in-a-lifetime event, the Rahr-West will be holding its annual Sputnikfest celebration this weekend.
There will be live music with Dr. Bombay and That 90’s Band all day, along with several space-themed contests.
Visit the Rahr-West Art Museum section of Manitowoc.org to learn more.
