Sputnik 1 was the first artificial earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low earth orbit by the USSR on 4th October 1957 as part of the Soviet Space program. It orbited for 3 weeks until its batteries died then orbited silently for 2 months before it fell back to the atmosphere on 4th January 1958.

It was a metal sphere 58cm in diameter with 4 external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses, the signal was easily recognized by radio armatures. The 65deg orbit inclination made it's flight path cover virtually all the inhabited earth. The satellites unanticipated success precipitated the American Sputnik crisis and triggered the space race, part of the cold war.

The launch was the beginning of a new era in political, military, technological and scientific developments. The word Sputnik is Russian for satellite when interpreted in an Astronomical context. Sputnik was part of the LUNA program.

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