Happy Birthday Sputnik!

Space flight is 50 years old this week and although the space race may well have been borne by the desire to develop bigger and better nuclear weapons - according to the accounts of Russian scientists reported in USA Today - the actual exploration of space, which began with the launch of Sputnik on 4 October 1957, continues to capture the imagination of many.

For me, it continues to inspire new writing - I'm working with ace artist Bill Storie on a new SF series, Ex Astris, which you can read via ROK Comics.

• There's more information on the project at www.exastris.co.uk

• New Scientist magazine has a special web section on the legacy of Sputnik here