The antennas looked like long "whiskers" pointing to one side. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. There were no plans to return her to Earth, and she lived only a few hours in orbit. Live TV Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! What does sputnik mean? It also helped create the Internet. The Sputnik crisis was a period of public fear and anxiety in Western nations about the perceived technological gap between the United States and Soviet Union caused by the Soviets' launch of Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first manmade object … BIBLIOGRAPHY. This prompted Eisenhower, who generally held the line on spending, to sign the National Defense Education Act of 1958, which provided extensive aid to schools and students in order to bring…. Launch into other worlds while testing your knowledge about space, celestial bodies, and the solar system. 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. Sputnik II was launched on Nov. 3, 1957, carrying the first living thing into space: a dog named Laika. History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. (tip: use the filter on the left hand side to narrow your results. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Sputnik 3, the first multipurpose space-science satellite placed in orbit. The successful launch came as a shock to experts and citizens in the United States , who had hoped that the United States would accomplish this scientific advancement first. Though Sputnik was a relatively simple satellite compared with the more complex machines to follow, its beeping signal from space galvanized the United States to enact reforms in science and engineering education so that the nation could regain technological ground it appeared to have lost to its Soviet rival. Sputnik, or satellite, after the Russian word for "companion in travel" or "satellite," is the name of the world's first artificial satellite.Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957, awed the world, ushered the space age, and had global political repercussions.. or 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit Earth on its elliptical path. Sputnik 1 orbited Earth every 96 minutes, and the fact that it passed over the USA seven times a day worried many Americans. He was born on April 5, 1950, in San José, Costa Rica. Sputnik 2 carried the dog Laika, the first living creature in space. First artificial earth satellite: Sputnik. These collections are not meant to be exhaustive; they are meant to get researchers started in the right direction. Launched May 15, 1958, by the Soviet Union, it made and transmitted measurements of the pressure and composition of Earth's upper atmosphere, the concentration of charged particles, and the influx of primary cosmic rays. Thus, began the space age. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. What exactly is a quasar? How many miles are in a light-year? Updates? In the West, however, Sputnik was used as a generic name for Soviet satellites. Sputnik’s official designation was “PS-1” or “Elementary Satellite 1” in Russian. Sputnik was about the size of a microwave oven, but it caused fear and awe in America because it had been launched by our enemies, the Soviets. (tip: use the filter on the left hand side to narrow your results.). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. These “Sputniks” included the first probes to Venus (Venera 1) and Mars (Mars 1), as well as five missions in the Korabl-Sputnik program, which tested the crewed Vostok spacecraft before Yuri Gagarin’s flight in 1961. Sputnik, any of a series of three artificial Earth satellites, the first of whose launch by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, inaugurated the space age. During the furor that followed Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2, many people accused the Eisenhower administration of letting the Soviet Union best the United States. Omissions? The satellite was launched on October 4, 1957, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Sputnik program was the world's first successful one to launch a rocket, a living being, and a human into Earth orbit. The launches of Sputnik 1 and 2 by the Soviet Union in October and November 1957, respectively, and the implied Soviet superiority in missile technology, galvanized the United States. Sputnik I was the first of a series of three Russian artificial satellites sent into orbit around earth during the late 1950s. Sputnik is defined as one of the space satellites launched into Earth orbit by the Soviet Union starting in 1957. Sputnik also changed people's lives in ways that filtered into modern popular culture. Laika, the dog who became the first living creature sent into space, aboard Sputnik 2, November 1957. Sputnik – Russian for "companion" or "spouse" – is also a name applied to certain spacecraft launched under the Soviet space program. The spacecraft, named Sputnik after the Russian The Soviet Union inaugurates the “Space Age” with its launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. Sputnik started the space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. The successful launch shocked the world, giving the former Soviet Union the distinction of putting the first human-made object into space. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race. The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit on 4 October 1957. Corrections? 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. The Sputnik 1 satellite was a 58.0 cm-diameter aluminum sphere that carried four whip-like antennas that were 2.4-2.9 m long. The spacecraft, named Sputnik after the Russian word for “satellite,” was launched at 10:29 p.m. Moscow time from the Tyuratam launch base in the Kazakh Republic. The Eisnhower Library has many original documents regarding the US response to Sputnik online. "If Slovakia doesn't need the vaccine, other countries will be pleased... there will be more for others," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 successfully launched and entered Earth's orbit. On October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, which rose up above Earth's atmosphere and entered orbit around our planet, circumnavigating it … WASHINGTON6 (Sputnik) - A US hypersonic weapon failed to launch due to an issue that occurred during its first booster vehicle flight test on 5 April, the Air Force said on Tuesday. Scientists conducted months of human trials but are yet to publish data and did … The Soviet Union inaugurates the “Space Age” with its launch of Sputnik , the world's first artificial satellite. But now, Sputnik V — named after the world’s first satellite that saw the Soviets initially outpace the Americans in the space race — is starting to look like it could be a global success story. The spacecraft obtained data pertaining to the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere and the propagation of radio signals in the ionosphere. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. And instruments flown on early satellites helped trace the shape of the earth, measured very small meteorites, and detected cosmic rays. The Soviets officially called only three satellites Sputnik. On a trip to Venezu… Sputnik, 1957 On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the earth’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1 . Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite launched, was a 83.6-kg (184-pound) capsule. Sputnik was the instrument that gave Stephen King the "dread" that fuels his novels, caused the prolific Isaac Asimov to begin calling himself a science writer rather than a science fiction writer, inspired Ross Perot to create an electronics dynasty, and led others to become cosmonauts and astronauts. Sputnik 3, launched on May 15, 1958, carried 12 instruments to study Earth’s upper atmosphere and space and was also the heaviest satellite to that time, weighing 1,327 kg (2,926 pounds). Sputnik and the Dawn of the Space Age History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. After World War II, American psychology, particularly clinical psychology, grew into a substantial field in its own right, partly in response to the needs of returning veterans. A list from our Document Managent System showing our holdings. Sputnik, a series of three Soviet artificial satellites. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Normally, we only include NASA-created material, but because Sputnik predates NASA and was instrumental in the creation of NASA as an agency, the papers at the Eisenhower Library are a vital part of the story. NASA astronaut Franklin R. Chang-Díaz is a case in point. The vaccine is named Sputnik V -- a reference to the 1957 Soviet Union satellite. Sputnik: The Beep Heard Round the World, The Birth of the Space Age, Beyond the Atmosphere: Early Years of Space Science, Challenge to Apollo: Pt 1 The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945 - 1974, Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the U.S. Civil Space Program, Orders of Magnitude: A History of the NACA and NASA, 1915 - 1990, "Announcement of the First Satellite," from Pravda, October 5, 1957, A Report On An Artificial Earth Satellite, A Report On the Feasibility of Development of an Artificial Earth Satellite, Synopsis of Report on Development of Conceptual Design of an Artificial Earth Satellite, Proposals of First Launches of Artificial Earth Satellites, Preliminary Considerations Of Prospective Work On The Development Of Outer Space. If you would like to request a specific document, please note the Record Number and include that in your email. Read More. ). What makes a planet a dwarf planet? Engineers in both nations relished the prospect of launching rockets into orbit. SPUTNIK. Sputnik V is delivered in two shots, administered 21 days apart and in liquid form. Sputnik 2, launched on November 3, 1957, carried the dog Laika, the first living creature to be shot into space and orbit Earth. Laika was a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow. Sputnik 3 was originally intended to be the first satellite, but its complexity and size led the Soviets to launch the much simpler Sputnik 1 to beat the United States into space. Scientists could use signals from Sputnik and other satellites to develop new methods of computing orbits. Also Know, what was Sputnik and who did it belong to? Our … Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. This satellite was six times as heavy as the first, coming in at over 1,100 pounds. Find out how Sputnik worked. Although Sputnik-1 will always be remembered as a shock to Americans, it is surprising how thinly veiled the development of the first satellite in orbit really was. The word 'Sputnik' originally meant 'fellow traveler,' but has become synonymous with 'satellite.' Russia has asked Slovakia to return 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine after Slovak testing indicated serious quality control issues. The satellite was launched from what is now called the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Oct. 4, 1957. A row over shipments of Sputnik V vaccine doses that erupted on Thursday between Russia and Slovakia will not undermine European Union confidence in the shot, the Kremlin said on Friday in the week of an EU vaccines' regulator visit to Moscow. Image and Video library The launch of Sputnik 1 shocked many Americans, who had assumed that their country was technologically ahead of the Soviet Union, and led to the “space race” between the two countries. The satellite inspired the world 'beatnik' Sputnik 1's huge cultural impact can be seen in the spate of … The growth of psychology as a science was stimulated further by the launching of, …Soviet Union orbited the first artificial satellite, arousing fears that the United States was falling behind the Soviets technologically. Sputnik was the name of the world’s first artificial Earth satellite, which was launched by the Soviet Union. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/technology/Sputnik, Public Broadcasting Service - NOVA - Sputnik's Impact on America, Sputnik - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). This created a crisis reaction in national ne Sputnik made it possible to test satellite pressurisation, to study radio wave transmission and the density of the atmosphere, and allowed scientists to learn how to track objects in orbit. Sputnik was the name of the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth and was launched by the USSR on October 4, 1957. or 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit Earth on its elliptical path. The crisis was a significant event in the Cold War that triggered the creation of NASA and the Space Race between the two superpowers. It must be stored at minus 18 degrees Celsius (minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or below. It achieved an Earth orbit with an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 940 km (584 miles) and a perigee (nearest point) of 230 km (143 miles), circling Earth every 96 minutes and remaining in orbit until January 4, 1958, when it fell back and burned in Earth’s atmosphere. Sputnik 1 (/ ˈ s p ʌ t n ɪ k, ˈ s p ʊ t n ɪ k /; "Satellite-1", or "PS-1", Простейший Спутник-1 or Prosteyshiy Sputnik-1, "Elementary Satellite 1") was the first artificial Earth satellite. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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