Sputnik 1
first artificial Earth satellite From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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. It went down into Earth's atmosphere on 4 January 1958 and burned up.[2]
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.[4] 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.
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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.[2][5]
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References
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