What was Sputnik 1?

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A satellite is an object in space that orbits (travels around) another object. Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon, has been traveling around our planet for billions of years. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first man-made satellite, Sputnik 1, into space!

Sputnik, which means “fellow traveler” or “satellite” in Russian, orbited the Earth once every 96 minutes, until it burned up in the atmosphere in early 1958.

The launch wasn’t just a major moment in the history of space exploration. It also began the Space Race. This “race” was a competition between two countries – the United States and the Soviet Union. For decades following Sputnik’s launch, both would try to outdo each other by showing their scientific and military strength in outer space.

Today the race has ended, and the US and Russia (a country that came out of the fall of the Soviet Union) are working together in space, on projects like the International Space Station. 

Satellite Spotting

Just as it gets dark outside, you have a really good chance to spot some satellites traveling across the sky. There are thousands of them! Many are big enough able to reflect the Sun’s light (because they are out of the Earth’s shadow) down to us so we can spot them.

Look for lights traveling slowly across the sky. The satellites may look like stars, but while the stars stay relatively still, the satellites will keep moving. They may look like planes too, except they won’t change course and they won’t have flashing, colored lights.

As you see them pass by, think about the reasons they might be up there. Could they be monitoring the Earth’s weather? Could they be beaming down TV signals? What other reasons might satellites be up in space?