The First Artificial Satellite: How Sputnik Changed Everything

Sputnik 1 was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957.
It was the world’s first artificial satellite, marking the dawn of the Space Age.
Sputnik was a shiny metal sphere just 58 cm wide with four radio antennas.
It transmitted simple radio “beeps” heard by amateur operators worldwide.
The satellite orbited Earth every 96 minutes at about 18,000 mph.
Sputnik shocked the United States and fueled the Cold War Space Race.
Its launch directly led to the creation of NASA in 1958.
The satellite reentered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up in January 1958.
Sputnik inspired rapid advances in rocketry, satellites, and space science.
Its success forever changed how humanity viewed technology and the cosmos.