Transport & space · 1957

Sputnik

The Soviet Union places the first artificial satellite in orbit and starts the space age.

Sputnik 1, a 58 cm polished sphere weighing 83.6 kg, launched on 4 October 1957 atop Korolev's R-7 rocket and beeped for 21 days. It triggered the Space Race, NASA's founding and DARPA. More than 10,000 active satellites orbit today.

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