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Sputnik program

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Space transport

   USSR postage stamp depicting Sputnik 1
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   USSR postage stamp depicting Sputnik 1

   The Sputnik program was a series of unmanned space missions launched by
   the Soviet Union in the late 1950s to demonstrate the viability of
   artificial satellites. The name "Спутник" is Russian, and means "fellow
   traveler," and "satellite." The Russian pronunciation is /ˈsputnʲɪk/,
   but the usual pronunciation in English is /ˈspʊtnɪk/ or / ˈspʌtnɪk/.

   Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite , was launched on October 4,
   1957.The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a
   basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit
   the Earth on its elliptical path

   Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, 1957 and carried the first living
   passenger, a dog named Laika. The mission planners did not provide for
   the safe return of the spacecraft or its passenger, making Laika the
   first space casualty.

   The first attempt to launch Sputnik 3, on February 3, 1958, failed, but
   the second on May 15 succeeded, and it carried a large array of
   instruments for geophysical research. Its tape recorder failed,
   however, making it unable to measure the Van Allen radiation belts.

   Sputnik 4 was launched two years later, on May 15, 1960.

   Sputnik 5 was launched on August 19, 1960 with the dogs Belka and
   Strelka, 40 mice, 2 rats and a variety of plants on board. The
   spacecraft returned to earth the next day and all animals were
   recovered safely.

   All Sputniks were carried to orbit by the R-7 launch vehicle,
   originally designed to carry nuclear warheads.

   The surprise launch of Sputnik 1, coupled with the spectacular failure
   of the first two Project Vanguard launch attempts, shocked the United
   States, which responded with a number of early satellite launches,
   including Explorer I, Project SCORE, Advanced Research Projects Agency
   and Courier 1B. Sputnik also led to the creation of NASA and major
   increases in U.S. Government spending on scientific research and
   education. See: Sputnik crisis.

   The launch of Sputnik 1 inspired writer Herb Caen to coin the term "
   beatnik" in an article about the Beat Generation in the San Francisco
   Chronicle on April 2, 1958.

Sputnik 40-41

   This metal arming key is the last remaining piece of the first Sputnik
   satellite. It prevented contact between the batteries and the
   transmitter prior to launch. Currently on display at the National Air
   and Space Museum.
   Enlarge
   This metal arming key is the last remaining piece of the first Sputnik
   satellite. It prevented contact between the batteries and the
   transmitter prior to launch. Currently on display at the National Air
   and Space Museum.

   Sputnik 40 (Object 24958/97058C) was a ⅓-scale model amateur radio
   AMSAT satellite launched from the Mir space station on 3 November 1997
   to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Sputnik 1. Its appearance
   resembled Sputnik I. Its batteries expired on 29 December 1997 and the
   VHF transmitter fell silent.

   Sputnik 41 was launched a year later, on 10 November 1998. It also
   carried an amateur radio transmitter.

List of Sputnik satellites

         Sputnik Program
   Sputnik 1

   Sputnik 2
   Sputnik 3
   Sputnik 4
   Sputnik 5
   Sputnik 6
   Sputnik 7
   Sputnik 8
   Sputnik 9
            Sputnik 10

            Sputnik 19
                      Sputnik 20

                      Sputnik 21
                      Sputnik 22
                      Sputnik 24
                      Sputnik 25

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_program"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
