Additional Information - Sputnik and
"October SkyAdditional Information - Sputnik and
"October Sky
Original Photo - KEK 9/99
Sputnik, name
of the first of several artificial
satellites launched by the Soviet Union from 1957 to
1961. The goals of the Sputnik program included studying the earth's upper atmosphere,
observing animal survival in space flight, and testing Soviet rocket technology. The launch
of the unmanned Sputnik 1 and of Sputnik 2, which carried a dog, spurred the United States
to invest more money and resources into its fledgling space program, initiating a race
between the two nations to land a person on the moon.
The Sputnik program began on October 4, 1957, with the launch of Sputnik 1, which weighed 83 kg (184 lb). The official name of the satellite was Iskustvennyi Sputnik Zemli (fellow world traveler of the earth). The launch vehicle was a test version of the Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile. Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3, 1957, and weighed 508 kg (1100 lb). It carried a female dog named Laika. On-board instruments showed that Laika survived in space for several days until her oxygen supply was exhausted.
(From Encarta 1998)
LeaderFOCUS recommends - (rent it at your local video store)
