Today in science: Launch of Sputnik
October 4, 1957. On this date, the Soviet Union launched
Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. According to many
space historians, the Space Age began on this date.
It was a polished
metal sphere, made of aluminum alloy. It was 58 centimeters (23 inches) in
diameter – about the size of a beach ball – and weighed just 184 pounds. Its
four external radio antennae were meant to broadcast radio pulses. And
broadcast they did. For 21 days in 1957, people around the globe heard
Sputnik’s unassuming beep beep on the radio.
The pressurized sphere
had five primary science objectives: test a process for placing an artificial
“moon” into Earth orbit; provide information on the density of Earth’s
atmosphere, calculated from Sputnik’s lifetime in orbit; test radio and optical
methods of orbital tracking; determine the effects of radio wave propagation
though Earth’s atmosphere; and check principles of pressurization that could be
used on Earth-orbiting satellites. Clearly, the next step was to place living
things in space.
Sputnik’s beeping was
a symbol not only of Soviet Russia’s remarkable accomplishment, but also of
what many immediately assumed was Russia’s superiority in space. The American
public feared that the Soviets’ ability to launch satellites also translated
into the capability to launch ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear
weapons from Europe to the U.S.
Then the Soviets
struck again. On November 3, 1957, they launched Sputnik II, this time carrying
a much heavier payload, including a dog named Laika.
Sputnik I and Sputnik
II sent shockwaves around the world. American political leadership scrambled to
catch up. Ultimately, that extra push resulted in the United States sending the
first astronauts to walk on the moon, on July 20, 1969.
Bottom line: On October 4, 1957, the Soviet
Union launched the Sputnik 1 satellite into Earth orbit, and the Space Age
began. Hear the sound of Sputnik in orbit, in this post.
Want to hear it? Check
out the video below.
http://earthsky.org/space/this-date-in-science-launch-of-sputnik-october-4-1957From the Desert Steppe of Kazakhstan Into the Vastness of Outer Space
