Storiascopio · Era 12 of 12 · lower secondary year 3
The first artificial satellite
1957 · Baikonur (now Kazakhstan)
In short
On 4 October 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite in history. It was a shiny metal ball the size of a beach ball, with four long antennae, and it weighed about 84 kilograms. It circled the Earth in about 96 minutes and sent out a ‘beep’ that radio amateurs all over the world could hear. A month later Sputnik 2 carried the little dog Laika into orbit.
Why it matters It began the space age and the race between the United States and the Soviet Union to conquer space.
Source: NASA, “Sputnik and the Origins of the Space Age”
Where we are in the era “Today”
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1953Event 4 of 252022
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-first-artificial-satellite/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class