Sputnik 1 (/ ˈ s p ʌ t n ɪ k, ˈ s p ʊ t n ɪ k /, Russian: Спутник-1, Satellite 1), sometimes referred to as simply Sputnik, was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program.

Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball (58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter), weighed only 83.6 kg. or 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path.

Mar 29, 2025 · Sputnik 1 (launched October 4, 1957) was the first artificial satellite and the beginning of the ‘space race’ between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Sputnik 2 carried the dog Laika, the first living creature in space.

4 days ago · The Sputnik 1 spacecraft was the first artificial satellite successfully placed in orbit around the Earth and was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome at Tyuratam (370 km southwest of the small town of Baikonur) in Kazakhstan, then part of the former Soviet Union.

On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 successfully launched and entered Earth’s orbit. Thus, began the space age. The successful launch shocked the world, giving the former Soviet Union the distinction of putting the first human-made object into space.

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union inaugurated the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Launched as a contribution to the International Geophysical Year (IGY), Sputnik weighed 184 pounds and orbited the Earth every 90 minutes, sending out a signal that amateur radio operators around the world could monitor.

Sputnik 1 was the first artificial satellite to go around the Earth. [2][3] It was made by the Soviet Union. [2] . It was launched on 4 October 1957 at Baikonur Cosmodrome. [2] . It orbited (went around) the Earth for three months. [2] . It carried a radio transmitter. It did 1,440 orbits of the Earth during this time.

Nov 24, 2009 · The Soviet Union inaugurates the “Space Age” with its launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite.

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union stunned the world with its surprise launch of Sputnik 1. See how the historic satellite launch worked in this SPACE.com infographic.

Oct 4, 2020 · The launch the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957 kicked off the space age and the Cold War space race, the latter of which peaked when Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin...