Sputnik 1 (oct 4, 1957 – jan 4, 1958)

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Sputnik 1, or Sputnik, was the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, as part of the Soviet space program. It was a polished metal sphere with four external radio antennas, and its 65° orbital inclination covered nearly the entire inhabited Earth. The success of the satellite was unanticipated by the United States, leading to the American Sputnik crisis and the Space Race. The launch marked the beginning of a new era of political, military, technological, and scientific developments.

Sputnik 1 was launched during the International Geophysical Year from Site No.1/5 at the 5th Tyuratam range in Kazakh SSR (now Baikonur Cosmodrome). It traveled at a peak speed of about 8 km/s (18,000 mph) and took 96.20 minutes to complete each orbit. It transmitted on 20.005 and 40.002 MHz, which were monitored by radio operators worldwide. The signals continued for 22 days until the transmitter batteries depleted on October 26, 1957.

On January 4, 1958, Sputnik 1 burned up while reentering Earth's atmosphere, having completed 1,440 orbits and traveling approximately 70,000,000 km (43,000,000 mi).

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