Sputnik 1

On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union put into orbit a small spacecraft called ‘Sputnik”. Although capable of only emitting a series of beeps as it circled the Earth, it was the first artificial satellite to do so. It lasted for 22 days until its batteries wore out. During that time people looked to the sky or listed on ham radios to hear its beep. While the Soviet government reaped the propaganda value of this scientific achievement it was met with a speech from U.S. Senator Lyndon Johnson on how this was a dangerous action that put us all at risk of nuclear attack.

Over the past 50 years, the historical perspective has evolved, as has the debate to whether the Soviet Union beat the U.S. to orbit or if it was part of a clever strategy to meet U.S. intelligence gathering needs. Were future U.S. space efforts in spite of, or because of, Eisenhower administration policies?

No matter how one views the political and scientific ramifications, the launch of Sputnik represents a pivotal moment in the history of humanity.

Sputnik Specifications