Sputnik 1: First artificial Earth satellite
Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to go around the Earth.
It was made by the Soviet Union. It was launched on 4 October 1957 at Baikonur Cosmodrome. It orbited (went around) the Earth for three months. It carried a radio transmitter. It did 1,440 orbits of the Earth during this time. It went down into Earth's atmosphere on 4 January 1958 and burned up.
 Replica of Sputnik 1 | |
| Names | Спутник-1 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
| Operator | OKB-1 |
| Harvard designation | 1957 Alpha 2 |
| COSPAR ID | 1957-001B |
| SATCAT no. | 00002 |
| Mission duration | 21 days |
| Orbits completed | 1440 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | OKB-1 Ministry of Radiotechnical Industry |
| Launch mass | 83.6 kg (184 lb) |
| Dimensions | 58 cm (23 in) diameter |
| Power | 1 watt |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 October 1957, 19:28:34 UTC |
| Rocket | Sputnik 8K71PS |
| Launch site | Baikonur 1/5 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Orbital decay |
| Last contact | 26 October 1957 |
| Decay date | 4 January 1958 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 6,955 km (4,322 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.05201 |
| Perigee | 215 km (134 mi) |
| Apogee | 939 km (583 mi) |
| Inclination | 65.1° |
| Period | 96.2 minutes |
| Epoch | 4 October 1957, 15:12 UTC |
| Instruments | |
| Radio transmitter (20.005 MHz - 40.002 MHz) | |
The United States was very surprised when the Soviet Union sent Sputnik 1 into space. It did not want to fall behind. So, it began spending more money on science and education. This was when the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States began. The competition helped the US and Russia fuel the United States’ space exploration endeavors
Etymology
The word Sputnik comes from the Russian Спутник, literally traveling companion. It is pronounced IPA: ['sput.nik] or IPA: ['sput.nık], not 'spʌt.nık.
Related pages
References
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