Sputnik 1

Sputnik 1 was the Soviet artificial satellite launched on 4 October 1957, becoming the first human-made object to orbit Earth. Its radio beeps made the satellite detectable from the ground.

Earth orbit: The path of an object around Earth under gravity. Sputnik 1 followed an elliptical orbit that carried it around Earth roughly every 96 minutes.
Sergei Korolev: The Soviet rocket engineer who led the development of launch vehicles and spacecraft behind early spaceflight. Korolev drove the satellite project and its launch using the R-7 rocket.
Mikhail Tikhonravov: A Soviet rocket engineer who advocated artificial satellites and helped develop early satellite designs. His proposals and engineering work helped turn the satellite idea into a Soviet project.
Sputnik crisis: The political and public reaction in the United States to Soviet satellite and missile advances in 1957. Sputnik 1 prompted fears that the United States had fallen behind in science and military technology.
Radio transmitter: A device that generates and sends radio-frequency signals. Sputnik 1 transmitted radio pulses that ground stations and amateur operators could detect.
R-7 Semyorka: The first intercontinental ballistic missile, developed by the Soviet Union and adapted as a space launch vehicle. Its successful development provided the thrust needed to put Sputnik 1 into orbit.
Anatoly Kirillov: A Soviet engineer associated with the development and launch operations of early space vehicles. Kirillov worked on the R-7 launch system that carried Sputnik 1 into orbit.
Space Race: The Cold War competition between the United States and Soviet Union to achieve milestones in spaceflight. Sputnik 1 began the sequence of high-profile orbital and crewed-spaceflight contests.
Batteries: Devices that store chemical energy and convert it into electrical energy. Onboard batteries powered Sputnik 1's transmitter and temperature-monitoring system.
International Geophysical Year: A worldwide scientific research program held from July 1957 through December 1958. The Soviet Union announced plans to launch an artificial satellite during this period of coordinated geophysical research.

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