What was the name of the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957?

What was the name of the first artificial satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957?

• A. Sputnik 2
• B. Sputnik 1
• C. Luna 1
• D. Vanguard 1

Answer: (B)

Sputnik 1 marks the moment the Soviet Union became the first to place an artificial satellite into Earth orbit in 1957. It was a small metal sphere, about 58 cm across, with four antennas that transmitted signals back to Earth. Launched from Baikonur on October 4, 1957, aboard the R-7 rocket, it demonstrated that a satellite could reach orbit and be tracked from the ground, kicking off the space age and the space race. This mission isn’t to be confused with other early space efforts: Sputnik 2 came later in 1957 and carried a dog named Laika; Luna 1 arrived in 1959 as a lunar probe; Vanguard 1 was launched by the United States in 1958.

Sputnik 1 marks the moment the Soviet Union became the first to place an artificial satellite into Earth orbit in 1957. It was a small metal sphere, about 58 cm across, with four antennas that transmitted signals back to Earth. Launched from Baikonur on October 4, 1957, aboard the R-7 rocket, it demonstrated that a satellite could reach orbit and be tracked from the ground, kicking off the space age and the space race.

This mission isn’t to be confused with other early space efforts: Sputnik 2 came later in 1957 and carried a dog named Laika; Luna 1 arrived in 1959 as a lunar probe; Vanguard 1 was launched by the United States in 1958.