50th Anniversary of the Launch of Sputnik
Background Information
In October 2007 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary
of the launch of Sputnik, the first manmade satellite to
be launched into space. The Russian name "Спутник"
means literally "traveling companion" or "satellite".
The Soviet Union (now Russia) launched Sputnik 1 on
October 4, 1957 on board an R-7 rocket from the
Baikonur launch site.
The world's first artificial
satellite
was
58cm
in
diameter, weighed 83.6kg,
and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth. Sputnik didn’t
carry any scientific instruments but it did transmit a constant
beeping signal that was tracked around the world. An audio
file of Sputnik’s beep can be found on the CD available
through VSSEC or http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/ .
Sputnik
The launch of Sputnik took place
during the cold war between the
Soviet Union and America. The
American public were shocked by
the launch of Sputnik and feared
Sputnik ready for launch at
Baikonur
that with the Soviets' ability to launch satellites, they would
also have the capability to launch ballistic missiles. The
Sputnik launch led directly to the creation of National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958.
Amateur radio
enthusiasts tune in to
hear Sputnik
While
the
Sputnik
launch was a single
event, it marked the
start of the space age
and the U.S.- U.S.S.R.
space race. The first
decade
of
space
exploration saw many
Soviet and American
firsts.
Orbital path of Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 was followed by Sputnik 2 which carried Laika,
the first animal to go into orbit. There was no provision
made to return the craft to Earth, and Laika died when
the batteries that operated the life-support system gave
out.
The real challenge of space exploration was to send a
man into space, and then to land on the Moon. The first
human to orbit the Earth took place in April 1961. A
Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, in the spacecraft,
Vostok I, made a single orbit of the Earth, returning 108
minutes after liftoff.
On May 5, the Americans launched a Redstone rocket
from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying Alan Shepard in
his Mercury spacecraft, nicknamed “Freedom 7.” During
the 1960s, many Soviet cosmonauts and American
astronauts mastered space flight. However, only
American astronauts achieved the goal of landing on the
Moon.
Replica of Sputnik 2 with
Laika
In the 50 years since the first manmade object
was launched into space we have landed on
the Moon and sent probes to the edges of our
galaxy. We have also established a permanent
human presence in orbit with the construction of
space
stations
to
conduct
scientific
investigations.
As well as advancing technology, space
exploration has taught us how unique our
planet is and that we must work together to
protect it. As well as starting a space race the
launch of Sputnik also prompted the
establishment of the United Nations Committee
on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
(COPUOS). COPUOS was set up by the UN
th
On 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong
General Assembly in 1959 ( resolution 1472
became the first man to step onto the
(XIV)) to review the scope of international
Moon
cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space, to
devise programmes in this field to be undertaken under United Nations auspices, to
encourage continued research and the dissemination of information on outer space
matters, and to study legal problems arising from the exploration of outer space. This
year we celebrate the 50th session of COPUOS. For more information about COPUOS
visit http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/COPUOS/copuos.html
Each year we commemorate the launch of Sputnik and the establishment of COPUOS
by celebrating World Space Week 4 – 10 October. For more information about World
Space Week, including activities, visit http://www.spaceweek.org/index.html