The scientific significance of the launch of the first artificial earth satellite. Who invented the first artificial earth satellite. Sputnik: bad idea

THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE OF THE EARTH

THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE OF THE EARTH

Academician Boris CHERTOK, Energia Rocket and Space Corporation S.P. Queen

The launch of the world's first artificial Earth satellite was carried out in the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957 at 22:28. 34 s Moscow time. For the first time in history, hundreds of millions of people could observe in the rays of the rising or setting sun an artificial star moving across the dark sky, created not by gods, but by human hands. And the world community perceived this event as the greatest scientific achievement.

The history of the creation of the first satellite is connected with the work on the rocket as such. Moreover, she had both in the Soviet Union and in the USA german start.

In connection with the prohibition under the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 to develop new types of artillery weapons and build combat aircraft, the German military drew attention to the prospects for long-range missiles - this document did not provide for a ban on them. Particularly active relevant work began in Germany after 1933, with the coming to power of Hitler. Then a small group of enthusiasts, led by a young talented engineer Wernher von Braun, received the support of the army, and then became a priority state program weapons. And in 1936, they began to build a powerful research and production and testing rocket center Peenemünde (Rostock district). And in 1943, the first successful launch of the A4 long-range combat ballistic missile was made - which later received the propaganda name FAU-2 ("Fergeltung" - "retribution"). It became the first long-range unmanned, automatically controlled device. Its maximum firing range was 270-300 km, the initial weight was up to 13500 kg, the mass of the warhead was 1075 kg, the fuel components were liquid oxygen - an oxidizer and ethyl alcohol. The thrust of the propulsion system near the Earth reached 27,000 kgf. The active section of the flight replaced the gun barrel.

The main achievements of German specialists was the technology of mass production of powerful liquid rocket engines and flight control systems. The ideas of the Russian scientist and inventor Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the German Hermann Oberth, the American Robert Goddard and other brilliant singles late XIX- the beginning of the XX century. were turned into specific engineering systems by teams of powerful firms Siemens, Telefunken, Lorenz, etc., local universities that conducted research on Peenemünde's assignments. Then, studying its experience in Germany itself for 1.5 years, we - including myself - were convinced that their rocket is not a projectile, not a cannon, but a large and complex system that requires the use recent achievements aerogasdynamics, radioelectronics, heat engineering, materials science and high production culture.

On May 13, 1946, Stalin signed a decree on the creation in the USSR of the rocket branch of science and industry. In its development, in August 1946, Sergei Korolev (academician since 1958) was appointed chief designer of long-range ballistic missiles. Then none of us foresaw that, working with him, we would be participants in the launch of the world's first satellite, and shortly after that, the first half a hundred people into space - Yuri Gagarin.

S.P. Korolev is a student at Moscow State Technical University. 1929

After the capitulation of the Nazis, I was among the organizers of the reconstruction of the German rocket technology within Germany itself. Even then, we were convinced that no new physical laws needed to be discovered to create powerful long-range missiles flying through outer space. In 1947, flight tests of the V-2 assembled in Germany began work on its actual development in the USSR.

In 1948, at the first domestic missile range Kapustin Yar (between the Volga and its left branch of the Akhtuba), R-1 missiles were tested - copies of the German V-2, but made entirely of domestic materials. And in 1949, a series of high-altitude flights of these devices for space exploration took place. And in 1950, they began testing the next - R-2 - at a distance of 600 km.

The final “separation” from the legacy of the V-2 was our R-5 rocket at a range of 1200 km, whose tests were carried out since 1953. At the same time, it was with the help of the R-5 that we, together with other domestic scientists, launched research on the use of the rocket as an atomic bomb carrier .

Academicians Sergei Korolev and Julius Khariton led the corresponding search. After all cold war flared up in the world, the USSR was surrounded by military bases of the US Air Force, from which aircraft carriers of atomic bombs were able to hit the main political and economic centers of our country. The last analogues in the USSR could not reach the territory of the Americans. That is why the responsibility for the creation of appropriate carriers that reach intercontinental bases was assigned to the rocket scientists.

And on February 13, 1953, at the suggestion of the Council of Chief Designers, a new decree of the Soviet government was issued obliging the development of a two-stage intercontinental missile to a range of 7-8 thousand km. But on August 12, 1953, the first thermonuclear bomb was tested. And according to the top-secret hints of experts, we realized that in the coming years the mass and dimensions of the new weapons will be so great that our ideas need to be radically changed.

In November 1953, Korolev gathered his closest deputies for a top-secret conversation. He said: “The Minister of Medium Machine Building, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vyacheslav Malyshev unexpectedly came to see me. And in a categorical form he proposed to "forget" about the atomic bomb for an intercontinental missile. The authors of the hydrogen bomb promise to reduce its mass to 3.5 tons. So, Korolev stressed, we must develop an intercontinental missile while maintaining a range of 8000 km, but based on a “payload” of 3.5 tons.

A small design team was assembled, to which Korolev instructed the preliminary study of the parameters of the new rocket for discussion at the Council of Chief Designers. And in January 1954, a meeting was held by S. Korolev, V. Barmin, V. Glushko, V. Kuznetsov, N. Pilyugin, M. Ryazansky with the participation of their deputies and the main developers of radio control and management systems. Their main decision was the rejection of the traditional launch pad. At the suggestion of young designers, it was proposed to create ground equipment systems with a rocket suspension on special discarded trusses, which would make it possible not to load its lower part of the first and thereby reduce the total mass. Unusual was the decision on the layout of the rocket from five blocks with unified propulsion systems, the central one being the second stage. However, the engines of all blocks had to be started on Earth at the same time. The mass of the warhead with a hydrogen bomb was tentatively estimated at 5500 kg. To ensure the given control accuracy and range, it was necessary to strictly regulate the aftereffect impulse of the engines. However, V. Glushko proved the unreality of the demands of managers. So for the first time there was an idea to abandon the gas-jet graphite rudders traditional since the FAU-2, and instead to develop special low-thrust engines. They also had to "hold out" the second stage of the rocket in the last seconds of the flight to the desired parameters in terms of speed and coordinates. To reduce the mass of fuel, systems for regulating the emptying of tanks, measuring and controlling the apparent speed were proposed.

On May 20, 1954, a government decree was issued on the development of a two-stage intercontinental missile R-7. And just a week later, on May 27, S. Korolev sent a memorandum to the Minister of Defense Industry Dmitry Ustinov about the possibility and expediency of launching an artificial satellite into orbit based on this future rocket. It should be noted that, apart from Korolev himself, none of the members of the Council of Chief Designers and their deputies considered their passion for the idea of launching an artificial satellite as serious.

The draft design of the novelty was proposed and approved by the Council of Ministers of the USSR on November 20, 1954, and its design is now well known to the whole world. It consists of four identical warheads, which are attached to the fifth - the central one. In terms of internal layout, each of them is similar to a single-stage rocket with a forward oxidizer tank. Fuel tanks of all blocks are load-bearing. The engines of all blocks start to work from the ground, but when the steps are separated, the side ones turn off, and the central one continues to work. The control equipment is located in the inter-tank compartment of the central unit and includes a stabilization machine, a regulator for normal and lateral stabilization, apparent speed control and a radio control system for range and correction in the lateral direction. According to calculations, the head of the rocket enters the atmosphere at a speed of 7800 m/s. The total length of the detachable warhead is 7.3 m, weight - 5500 kg.

Of course, many problems arose, and they needed to be solved as soon as possible. It was necessary to choose a place for a new test site, build a unique launch facility, put into operation all the necessary services, build and put into operation stands for fire testing of blocks and the entire package as a whole, to work out the control system; find and test appropriate thermal protection materials to maintain the integrity of the head part during reentry; propose a telemetry system that does not yet exist (according to preliminary data, only at the first stage of flight tests up to 700 parameters); create new system radio control and flight path control, and, finally, to build a command and measurement complex, including points that monitor the missile and receive telemetry information along the entire route to Pacific Ocean. In a word, it was not by chance that in 1955 the designers who issued the necessary documentation for the manufacture of the R-7 rocket joked that they were smoking from the round-the-clock work of the drawing board. After all, there was no computer technology then: “hot” drawings went directly to the workshops of the pilot plant.

In January 1956, a government decree was prepared and signed on January 30 on the creation of an unoriented satellite under the secret code "Object D" weighing 1000-1400 kg with equipment for scientific research weighing 200‑300 kg.

General scientific management and provision of equipment for scientific research of outer space was entrusted to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the development of the satellite itself - to OKB-1 (headed by Korolev), experimental launches - to the Ministry of Defense.

When this decree was signed, Korolev and his main deputies (including myself) were at the Kapustin Yar training ground. Together with the nuclear scientists, we were preparing the R-5M missile with a real nuclear charge for testing. And on February 2, 1956, this happened: the explosion occurred in the desert steppe, at a distance of 1200 km from the start. Soon, the R-5M missile with an atomic warhead was put into service.

By July 1956, the project of the first satellite was completed, the composition was determined scientific tasks, including the measurement of the ionic composition of space, the corpuscular radiation of the Sun, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, the thermal regime of the satellite, its deceleration in the upper atmosphere, the duration of existence in orbit, the accuracy of determining the coordinates and parameters of the orbit, etc. The satellite was equipped with command radio link equipment for control from the planet and an onboard command processing complex for connecting scientific information and transmitting measurement results via a telemetry channel. A complex of means was erected on Earth to provide the necessary information (15 of them were designed on the territory of the USSR).

By the end of 1956, it became clear that the timing of the creation of artificial satellites would be disrupted due to the difficulties in manufacturing reliable scientific equipment. However, the project "Object D" was approved by a special committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. And earlier, on February 12, 1955, in the semi-desert, in the area of Tyuratam station, the army under the command of General Shubnikov began the construction of a research and test site No. 5 (since 1961 this place has been known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome).

The first peg on the site of the future Baikonur

During 1955-1956 the production of the first technological complex of the R-7 rocket was completed, it was tested at the Leningrad Metal Plant together with a real launch system. On firing stands near Zagorsk (now the city of Peresvet), fire tests of individual rocket blocks began. Under the leadership of N. Pilyugin, modeling and comprehensive testing of the control system were carried out.

On January 14, 1957, the Council of Ministers of the USSR approved the flight test program for R-7 missiles. And the first technological "fitting" rocket was sent to Tyuratam to the test site in January. I spent many days and nights at the control and test station. We carried out autonomous and complex electrical checks of the rocket: at first, block by block, then we assembled the package and tested it as a whole. And for good reason: they found many errors in the documentation and complex electrical circuits. However, there is nothing to be surprised: instead of the usual one propulsion system, we had five! There are only 12 steering engines! 32 combustion chambers (20 main and 12 steering).

In the assembly shop of the plant, the rocket seemed like a fantastic structure. Korolev invited Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, to come here. He came with the main members of the Politburo of the Central Committee. The rocket shocked them. And not only them. Chief ideologist of our hydrogen bomb, Academician Andrei Sakharov wrote in his memoirs: “We thought that we had a large scale, but there we saw something much larger. I was struck by the huge, visible to the naked eye, technical culture, the coordinated work of hundreds of highly qualified people and their almost everyday, but very businesslike attitude to those fantastic things with which they dealt ... ".

Meanwhile, Korolev, convinced of the failure to meet the deadlines for the manufacture of the first artificial satellite in the space laboratory version, came to the Government with a proposal: “There are reports that, in connection with the International Physical Year, the United States intends to launch an artificial satellite in 1958. We risk losing priority. I propose instead of the complex laboratory of "Object D" to launch into space the simplest satellite. His proposal was accepted - preparations began for the launch of the simplest satellite "PS".

The head part of the R-7 rocket with the first satellite

Korolev sent me and other deputies - L. Voskresensky and V. Abramov - to the training ground to receive the first rocket and prepare for launch.

In February 1957, the completion of the landfill was in full swing. They built a residential town on the banks of the Syr Darya. Almost completed the assembly and test building for the preparation of missiles. But the most grandiose construction - the starting position, site No. 1 - has not yet been completed. From railway station laid a concrete track, a railway branch, put up high-voltage transmission masts. Lines of dump trucks with liquid concrete, trucks with building materials, covered wagons with construction soldiers were walking towards the builders at the starting position. As an eyewitness of the war, I recalled the military roads of the 1940s in the immediate rear of the Soviet army before the big offensives: the same strained hum of hundreds of trucks, each hurrying with its own cargo. Yes, today there was no rumble of tanks and guns here, but behind the "steering wheels" of all the cars and in the bodies, again, there were soldiers.

Our passenger car was also driven by a soldier. I had to settle for a long time in this “front-line”, as we considered, situation. While I, other deputies of Korolev, hundreds of civilian and military specialists who moved to the test site, mounted, tested, prepared for launch a rocket and dozens of complex ground systems, Korolev at OKB-1 designed and then manufactured the simplest satellite.

The first R-7 (serial number M1-5) arrived at the technical site of the test site in early March 1957. Long-term checks of the blocks began, the elimination of comments, the refinement of on-board and ground devices, and the development of operational documentation. In April, we successfully completed firing bench tests of the blocks and the entire package as a whole. And at the meeting State Commission Korolev reported on the work done in preparation and the parameters of the first rocket for flight tests. He said: the initial mass of it, fully fueled, will be 280 tons, the warhead with the payload simulator will weigh 5.5 g. The mass of the refueling components - liquid oxygen, kerosene, hydrogen peroxide, compressed nitrogen - 253 tons. the second stage, when firing at full range, should reach 6385 m / s, however, the launch will be carried out only at 6314 km at the Kamchatka test site. The specific data for setting up the control system will be calculated separately. One of the main tasks is to check the mutual dynamics of the rocket and the launcher, as well as the stability of movement, although the calculated specified accuracy (± 8 km) for the first launches is not guaranteed.

On May 5, 1957, R-7 was taken to the starting position - site No. 1. Refueling began on the eighth day. The launch itself was scheduled for May 15. After completing all the checks at the starting position, I descended into an underground bunker to a depth of 8 m, 200 m from the start. The management of the last operations and launch was carried out from the main control room, equipped with two marine periscopes. A separate large room was intended for members of the state commission, the second - for consulting engineers ("ambulance technical assistance"). Another underground room housed control equipment for refueling, launches and mechanisms. Information about the state of the onboard systems was reflected on the banners of the main console and broadcast to the communication bunker from the measuring point, which received the radiation of the three onboard telemetry systems installed on the rocket. At the launch control combat periscopes were Korolev's deputy for testing L. Voskresensky and the head of the testing department of the test site, Lieutenant Colonel E. Ostashev. He gave the last starting commands.

R-7 at the start

It all happened at 19.00 local time. according to visual observations and subsequent processing of telemetric information, the rocket left the launch normally.

“A spectacle that staggers the imagination,” said those who watched the launch, hiding in the trenches at a distance of 1 km. The roar reached the bunker greatly weakened. Controlled flight continued until the 98th second. Then the thrust of the engine of the side block "D" fell, and it separated from the rocket without a command. But she lost stability and at the 103rd second, due to large deviations, the command to turn off all engines passed. The rocket fell 300 km from the start.

Everyone congratulated the queen on the fact that the launch system had survived and the stability of the flight of the entire package on the most critical, the first section, had been proven. But he himself was upset. Subsequent processing of the telemetric information and the study of the remains of the blocks showed that the cause of the accident was the occurrence of a fire due to leakage in the high-pressure kerosene communication of the propulsion system.

The second R-7 (No. 6L) was prepared taking into account the experience already gained. And on June 10-11, we made multiple launch attempts, although the automatic launch control in the last seconds “reset the circuit”. The rocket never got off the ground. The cause was a freezing of the main oxygen valve on the "B" block and an error in the installation of the nitrogen purge valve. The components were drained, the rocket was removed from the launch and returned to the technical position.

The third R-7 (No. M1-7) had been waiting for its turn for a month, its launch took place on June 12, 1957. It took off normally, but then began to deviate around the longitudinal axis, exceeding the permitted 7 o. Automation made an emergency shutdown of all engines. At 32.9 s, the package fell apart. The blocks fell and burned out 7 km from the start. The analysis revealed that the cause was a short to ground in the new control system device, which, according to its creators, was supposed to improve rotational stability. As a result, a false command passed to the steering engines, and it was she who “spun” the rocket.

Finally, on August 21, the fourth launch was made. R-7 (No. 8L) worked out the entire active section of the trajectory on a regular basis. According to external control data, its head part reached a given area of Kamchatka, entered the atmosphere, but no traces of them could be found on Earth. Obviously, the thermodynamic loads exceeded all expectations, and the heat-shielding coating did not save.

Despite another failure - this time with the design, on August 27, TASS published a statement: “An ultra-long-range intercontinental multi-stage ballistic missile was launched in the Soviet Union. It is possible to launch missiles in any area globe».

On September 7, 1957, the next launch of R-7 (No. M1-9) took place. The entire active section, all blocks worked normally. However, the head part burned down again in dense layers atmosphere, although this time it was possible to find a few remnants of the structure.

So, according to the results of flight tests of five missiles, it was obvious; the product can fly, but its head part needed a radical revision, which required at least six months of hard work. But there is a blessing in disguise: the destruction of the warheads opened the way for the launch of the first simplest satellite of the Earth: after all, he did not need to enter the dense layers of the atmosphere. And Korolev received Khrushchev's consent to use two rockets for the experimental launch of the novelty.

On September 17, 1957, at a solemn meeting dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of K. Tsiolkovsky, then almost unknown Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Sergei Korolev made a report. He said that in our country in the near future it could be delivered into space artificial satellite Earth. And after 5 days, the 8K71PS launch vehicle (M1-PS product) arrived at the test site. It was significantly lightened compared to regular missiles. The dummy head was removed and replaced with a satellite adapter. All the equipment of the radio control system was removed from the central unit - after all, accuracy was not required. Removed one of the telemetry systems. We simplified the automatic shutdown of the engine of the central unit. Thus, the launch mass of the rocket was lightened by 7 tons compared to the first samples.

October 4, 1957 at 22:28 3 from Moscow time, the start was carried out. After 295.4 s, the satellite and the central block of the launch vehicle went into orbit. For the first time, the first cosmic velocity was achieved, calculated by the founder of classical physics and law gravity Englishman Isaac Newton (1643-1727). It was 7780 m/s for the first satellite. The inclination of the satellite's orbit was 65.1°, the height of the perigee was 228 km, the height of the apogee was 947 km, and the orbital period was 96.17 minutes.

After the first enthusiasm, when the “BEEP-BEEP-BEEP” signals, which became immediately known to all mankind, were received at the test site, and, finally, the telemetry was processed, it turned out that the rocket had launched “on the eyebrows”. The engine of the side block "G" entered the mode with a delay, i.e. less than a second before the control time. If it were delayed a little more, the circuit would automatically “reset” the setting and the start would be canceled. Moreover, at the 16th second of the flight, the tank emptying control system failed. This led to an increased consumption of kerosene and the engine of the central unit was turned off 1 s earlier than the calculated value. There were other problems as well. If a little more and the first cosmic speed could not be achieved.

But the winners are judged! The great has happened! On October 5, 1957, the TASS message ended with the words: “Artificial satellites of the Earth will pave the way for interplanetary travel and, apparently, our contemporaries are destined to be witnesses of how the freed and conscious labor of the people of the new socialist society makes the most daring dreams of mankind a reality.”

The first satellite existed for 92 days (until January 4, 1958). During this time, he made 1440 revolutions, the central block worked for 60 days: it was observed with a simple eye as a star of the 1st magnitude.

The world was literally stunned! Sputnik changed the political balance of power. The US Secretary of Defense declared: "Victory in the war with the USSR is no longer achievable." By replacing the fusion bomb with a small satellite, we have won a huge political and social victory.

An abbreviated version of the article by B. Chertok from the book "First Space" (M., 2007).

The editorial board of the "Soviet Physicist" thanks the editors of the journal "Science in Russia" for the provided photos

“And now? Ah, now."

Pilot-cosmonaut, twice Hero Soviet Union V. Sevastyanov in his article "Report to Tsiolkovsky" assures that today the role of Russian cosmonautics is reduced to the free delivery of Americans to the ISS and maintenance of the station. The Americans are testing an ultra-precise weapon guidance system on the ISS. Not one of our cosmonauts has ever visited their compartment!

We have long been accustomed to the fact that we live in the era of space exploration. However, watching huge reusable rockets and space orbital stations today, many do not realize that the first launch spacecraft took place not so long ago - only 60 years ago.

General information

Who launched the first artificial earth satellite? - THE USSR. This question has great importance, since this event gave rise to the so-called space race between the two superpowers: the USA and the USSR.

What was the name of the world's first artificial earth satellite? - since such devices did not previously exist, Soviet scientists considered that the name "Sputnik-1" is quite suitable for this device. The code designation of the device is PS-1, which stands for "The Simplest Sputnik-1".

Externally, the satellite had a rather uncomplicated appearance and was an aluminum sphere with a diameter of 58 cm to which two curved antennas were attached crosswise, allowing the device to spread radio emission evenly and in all directions. Inside the sphere, made of two hemispheres fastened with 36 bolts, there were 50-kilogram silver-zinc batteries, a radio transmitter, a fan, a thermostat, pressure and temperature sensors. The total weight of the device was 83.6 kg. It is noteworthy that the radio transmitter broadcast in the range of 20 MHz and 40 MHz, that is, ordinary radio amateurs could follow it.

History of creation

The history of the first space satellite and space flights as a whole begins with the first ballistic missile - V-2 (Vergeltungswaffe-2). The rocket was developed by the famous German designer Wernher von Braun at the end of World War II.

The first test launch took place in 1942, and the combat one in 1944, a total of 3225 launches were made, mainly in the UK.

After the war, Wernher von Braun surrendered to the US Army, in connection with which he headed the Arms Design and Development Service in the United States. Back in 1946, a German scientist submitted to the US Department of Defense a report “Preliminary design of an experimental spaceship orbiting the Earth”, where he noted that within five years a rocket could be developed that could put such a ship into orbit. However, funding for the project was not approved.

On May 13, 1946, Josiv Stalin adopted a resolution on the creation of a rocket industry in the USSR. Sergei Korolev was appointed chief designer of ballistic missiles. For the next 10 years, scientists developed intercontinental ballistic missiles R-1, R2, R-3, etc.

In 1948, rocket designer Mikhail Tikhonravov gave a report to the scientific community on composite rockets and the results of calculations, according to which the developed 1000-kilometer rockets can reach great distances and even put an artificial Earth satellite into orbit. However, such a statement was criticized and was not taken seriously.

Tikhonravov's department at NII-4 was disbanded due to irrelevant work, but later, through the efforts of Mikhail Klavdievich, it was reassembled in 1950. Then Mikhail Tikhonravov spoke directly about the mission to put a satellite into orbit.

satellite model

After the creation of the R-3 ballistic missile, its capabilities were presented at the presentation, according to which the missile was capable of not only hitting targets at a distance of 3000 km, but also launching a satellite into orbit. So by 1953, scientists still managed to convince top management that the launch of an orbiting satellite was possible.

And the leaders of the armed forces had an understanding of the prospects for the development and launch of an artificial Earth satellite (AES). For this reason, in 1954, a decision was made to create a separate group at NII-4 with Mikhail Klavdievich, which would be engaged in satellite design and mission planning. In the same year, Tikhonravov's group presented a space exploration program, from the launch of an artificial satellite to landing on the moon.

In 1955, a delegation of the Politburo headed by N. S. Khrushchev visited the Leningrad Metal Plant, where the construction of the two-stage rocket R-7 was completed. The impression of the delegation resulted in the signing of a decree on the creation and launch of a satellite into earth orbit in the next two years. The design of the artificial satellite began in November 1956, and in September 1957 the Simplest Sputnik-1 was successfully tested on a vibration stand and in a heat chamber.

Definitely to the question "who invented Sputnik-1?" — cannot be answered. The development of the first satellite of the Earth took place under the leadership of Mikhail Tikhonravov, and the creation of the launch vehicle and the launch of the satellite into orbit - under the leadership of Sergei Korolev. However, a considerable number of scientists and researchers worked on both projects.

Launch history

In February 1955, the top management approved the creation of the Scientific Research Test Site No. 5 (later Baikonur), which was to be located in the Kazakhstan desert. The first ballistic missiles of the R-7 type were tested at the test site, but according to the results of five experimental launches, it became clear that the massive warhead of the ballistic missile could not withstand the temperature load and needed to be improved, which would take about six months.

For this reason, S.P. Korolev requested two rockets from N.S. Khrushchev for the experimental launch of PS-1. At the end of September 1957, the R-7 rocket arrived at Baikonur with a lightened head and a passage under the satellite. Extra equipment was removed, as a result of which the mass of the rocket was reduced by 7 tons.

On October 2, S.P. Korolev signed the order on flight tests of the satellite and sent a notice of readiness to Moscow. And although no answers came from Moscow, Sergei Korolev decided to bring the Sputnik launch vehicle (R-7) from PS-1 to the starting position.

The reason why the management demanded that the satellite be put into orbit during this period is that from July 1, 1957 to December 31, 1958, the so-called International Geophysical Year was held. According to it, during the specified period, 67 countries jointly and under a single program carried out geophysical research and observations.

The launch date of the first artificial satellite is October 4, 1957. In addition, on the same day, the opening of the VIII International Astronautical Congress took place in Spain, Barcelona. The leaders of the USSR space program were not disclosed to the public due to the secrecy of the work being carried out; Academician Leonid Ivanovich Sedov informed Congress about the sensational launch of the satellite. Therefore, it was the Soviet physicist and mathematician Sedov that the world community has long considered the "father of Sputnik."

Flight history

At 22:28:34 Moscow time, a rocket with a satellite was launched from the first site of NIIP No. 5 (Baikonur). After 295 seconds, the central block of the rocket and the satellite were launched into an elliptical Earth orbit (apogee - 947 km, perigee - 288 km). After another 20 seconds, PS-1 separated from the missile and gave a signal. It was the repeated signals of “Beep! Beep!”, which were caught at the range for 2 minutes, until Sputnik-1 disappeared over the horizon.

On the first orbit of the apparatus around the Earth, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) transmitted a message about the successful launch of the world's first satellite.

After receiving the PS-1 signals, detailed data began to come in about the device, which, as it turned out, was close to not reaching the first space velocity and not entering orbit. The reason for this was an unexpected failure of the fuel control system, due to which one of the engines was late. A fraction of a second separated from failure.

However, PS-1 nevertheless successfully reached an elliptical orbit, along which it moved for 92 days, while completing 1440 revolutions around the planet. The radio transmitters of the device worked during the first two weeks. What caused the death of the first satellite of the Earth? - Having lost speed due to the friction of the atmosphere, Sputnik-1 began to descend and completely burned out in the dense layers of the atmosphere.

It is noteworthy that many could observe some kind of brilliant object moving across the sky at that time. But without special optics, the shiny body of the satellite could not be seen, and in fact this object was the second stage of the rocket, which also rotated in orbit, along with the satellite.

The meaning of flight

The first launch of an artificial Earth satellite in the USSR produced an unprecedented rise in pride in their country and a strong blow to the prestige of the United States. An excerpt from the United Press publication: “90 percent of the talk about artificial Earth satellites came from the United States. As it turned out, 100 percent of the case fell on Russia ... ".

And despite the erroneous ideas about the technical backwardness of the USSR, it was the Soviet apparatus that became the first satellite of the Earth, moreover, its signal could be tracked by any radio amateur. The flight of the first Earth satellite marked the beginning of the space age and launched the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Just 4 months later, on February 1, 1958, the United States launched its Explorer 1 satellite, which was assembled by the team of scientist Wernher von Braun. And although it was several times lighter than the PS-1 and contained 4.5 kg of scientific equipment, it was still the second one and no longer had such an impact on the public.

Scientific results of PS-1 flight

The launch of this PS-1 had several goals:

Testing the technical ability of the apparatus, as well as checking the calculations made for the successful launch of the satellite;

Research of the ionosphere. Before the launch of the spacecraft, radio waves sent from the Earth were reflected from the ionosphere, making it impossible to study it. Now, scientists have been able to begin exploring the ionosphere through the interaction of radio waves emitted by a satellite from space and traveling through the atmosphere to the Earth's surface.

Calculation of the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere by observing the rate of deceleration of the apparatus due to friction against the atmosphere;

Investigation of the influence of outer space on equipment, as well as determining favorable conditions for the operation of equipment in space.

Listen to the sound of the First Satellite

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And although the satellite did not have any scientific equipment, tracking its radio signal and analyzing its nature yielded many useful results. So a group of scientists from Sweden measured the electronic composition of the ionosphere, based on the Faraday effect, which says that the polarization of light changes when it passes through a magnetic field.

Also, a group of Soviet scientists from Moscow State University developed a method for observing the satellite with an accurate determination of its coordinates. Observation of this elliptical orbit and the nature of its behavior made it possible to determine the density of the atmosphere in the region of orbital heights. The unexpectedly increased density of the atmosphere in these areas prompted scientists to create a theory of satellite deceleration, which contributed to the development of astronautics.

Source .

The first artificial Earth satellite was created and launched into space in the USSR. It happened on October 4, 1957. On this day, radio stations around the world interrupted their transmissions to announce the most important news. Russian word"satellite" has entered into all languages of the world.
It was a fantastic breakthrough of mankind in the exploration of outer space, and it laid the foundation for the great Space Age of all mankind. And the palm rightfully belongs to the USSR.

Here is a picture taken in the lobby of the Space Research Institute Russian Academy Sciences.

In the foreground is the First Sputnik, the highest technological achievement of its time.
On the second - employees of IKI - outstanding scientists, creators of the first satellite, atomic weapons, space science and technology.

If it is not readable in the picture, here are their names:

Yakov Borisovich Zeldovich - theoretical physicist, repeatedly awarded the Stalin Prize of the 1st degree for special work related to atomic bomb. Three times Hero of Socialist Labor.

October 4, 1957 forever entered the history of mankind as the beginning of a new era - space. It was on this day that the first artificial satellite (AES) - Sputnik-1 - was sent to surf space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It weighed relatively little - 83.6 kilograms, but at that time delivering even such a "crumb" into orbit was a very serious task.

I think that in Russia there is no person who would not know who was the first man in space.

With the first satellite, the situation is more complicated. Many do not even know what country he belonged to.

This is how it started new era in science and the legendary space race between the USSR and the USA.

The era of rocket science begins at the beginning of the last century, with theory. It was then that the outstanding scientist Tsiolkovsky, in his article on the jet engine, actually predicted the appearance of satellites. Despite the fact that the professor had many students who continued to popularize his ideas, many considered him to be just a dreamer.

Then new times came, the country had a lot of things to do and problems, except for rocket science. But two decades later, Friedrich Zander and the now famous aviator engineer Korolenko founded a group to study jet propulsion. After that, there were several events that led to the fact that 30 years later the first satellite was launched into space, and after some time, a man:

1933 - launch of the first rocket with a jet engine;
1943 - the invention of the German V-2 rockets;
1947–1954 - rocket launches P1-P7.

The apparatus itself was ready in mid-May at 7 pm. His device was quite simple, there were 2 beacons on it, which made it possible to measure the trajectory of his flight. Interestingly, after sending a notice that the satellite was ready for flight, Korolev did not receive any answer from Moscow and independently decided to place the satellite on the starting position.

The preparation and launch of the satellite was led by S.P. Korolev. The satellite made 1440 complete revolutions in 92 days, after which it burned down, entering the dense layers of the atmosphere. The radio transmitters worked for two weeks after the launch.

The first satellite was given the name PS-1. When the project of the first-born space was born, there were disputes among engineers and developers: what should it be in shape? After listening to the arguments of all parties, Sergei Pavlovich categorically stated: "A ball and only a ball!" - and, without waiting for questions, he explained his plan: “The ball, its shape, the conditions of its habitat from the point of view of aerodynamics have been thoroughly studied.

Known for its pros and cons. And this is of no small importance.

Understand - FIRST! When humanity sees an artificial satellite, it should evoke good feelings in it. What could be more expressive than a ball? It is close to natural celestial bodies our solar system. People will perceive the satellite as a kind of image, as a symbol of the space age!

I consider it necessary to install such transmitters on board so that radio amateurs on all continents can receive their call signs. The orbital flight of the satellite is calculated in such a way that, using the simplest optical instruments, everyone from the Earth can see the flight of the Soviet satellite.

On the morning of October 3, 1957, scientists, designers, members of the State Commission gathered at the assembly and test building - everyone who was associated with the launch. Waiting for the export of a two-stage rocket and space system"Sputnik" to the launch pad.

The metal gates opened. The locomotive, as it were, pushed out a rocket placed on a special platform. Sergei Pavlovich, setting up a new tradition, took off his hat. His example of high respect for the work that created this miracle of technology was followed by others.

Korolev took a few steps behind the rocket, stopped and, according to the old Russian custom, said: “Well, with God!”.

Before the start of the space age, there were only a few hours left. What awaited Korolev and his associates? Will October 4 be the victorious day that he dreamed of for many years? The sky, studded with stars that night, seemed to become closer to the Earth. And everyone who was present at the launch pad involuntarily looked at Korolev. What was he thinking about as he looked into the dark sky, twinkling with myriads of near and far stars? Perhaps he remembered the words of Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky: “The first great step of mankind is to fly out of the atmosphere and become a satellite of the Earth”?

The last meeting of the State Commission before the start. There was a little more than an hour left before the start of the experiment. The floor was given to S.P. Korolev, everyone was waiting for a detailed report, but the chief designer was brief: “The launch vehicle and satellite passed the launch tests. I propose to launch the rocket and space complex at the appointed time, today at 22:28.”

And here is the long-awaited launch!

"THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL EARTH SATELLITE, A SOVIET SPACE VEHICLE LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT."

The launch was carried out from the 5th Tyura-Tam research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense on a Sputnik launch vehicle, created on the basis of the R7 intercontinental ballistic missile.

On Friday, October 4, at 22:28:34 Moscow time (19:28:34 GMT), a successful launch was made.

295 seconds after the launch of the PS-1 and the central block (stage II) of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched

elliptical orbit with a height of 947 km at apogee and 288 km at perigee. The apogee was in the Southern Hemisphere and the perigee was in the Northern Hemisphere. 314.5 seconds after the launch, the protective cone was dropped and Sputnik separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and he gave his vote. "Beep! Beep! - so sounded his call signs.

They were caught at the training ground for 2 minutes, then the Sputnik went beyond the horizon. People at the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouting "Hurrah!", rocked the designers and the military.

And on the first orbit, a TASS message sounded:

"As a result of the great hard work of research institutes and design bureaus, the world's first artificial Earth satellite has been created."

Only after receiving the first signals of the Sputnik did the results of telemetry data processing come in and it turned out that only a fraction of a second separated from failure. Before the start, the engine in the G block was “delayed”, and the time to enter the regime is tightly controlled, and if it is exceeded, the start is automatically canceled.

The block went into mode less than a second before the control time. At the 16th second of the flight, the tank emptying system (SES) failed, and due to the increased consumption of kerosene, the central engine turned off 1 second ahead of the estimated time. According to the memoirs of B. E. Chertok: “A little more - and the first cosmic speed could not be achieved.

But the winners are not judged! Great things have happened!"

The orbital inclination of Sputnik-1 was about 65 degrees, which meant that Sputnik-1 flew approximately between the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle, due to the rotation of the Earth during each revolution, shifting by 24 degrees in longitude 37.

The orbital period of Sputnik-1 was initially 96.2 minutes, then it gradually decreased due to the decrease in orbit, for example, after 22 days it became 53 seconds shorter.

History of creation

The flight of the first satellite was preceded by a long work of scientists and designers, in which scientists played a significant role.

Here are their names:

Valentin Semenovich Etkin - sounding of the Earth's surface from space by remote radiophysical methods.
Pavel Efimovich Elyasberg - during the launch of the first Artificial Earth Satellite, he supervised the work on determining the orbits and predicting the satellite's motion based on the results of measurements.
Yan Lvovich Ziman - Ph.D. thesis, defended at MIIGAiK, was devoted to the selection of orbits for satellites.
Georgy Ivanovich Petrov - together with S.P. Korolev and M.V. Keldysh, who stood at the origins of astronautics.
Iosif Samuilovich Shklovsky - founder of the school of modern astrophysics.
Georgiy Stepanovich Narimanov - programs and methods of navigation and ballistic support in controlling the flights of artificial earth satellites.
Konstantin Iosifovich Gringauz, the first artificial Earth satellite, launched in 1957, carried on board a radio transmitter created by a scientific and technical group led by K. I. Gringauz.
Yuri Ilyich Galperin - magnetospheric research.
Semyon Samoilovich Moiseev - plasma and hydrodynamics.
Vasily Ivanovich Moroz - Physics of planets and small bodies of the solar system.

satellite device

The satellite body consisted of two power hemispherical shells with a diameter of 58.0 cm made of aluminum-magnesium alloy AMg-6 2 mm thick with docking frames interconnected by 36 M8 × 2.5 studs. Before launch, the satellite was filled with dry nitrogen gas at a pressure of 1.3 atmospheres. The tightness of the joint was ensured by a gasket made of vacuum rubber. The upper half-shell had a smaller radius and was covered with a hemispherical outer screen 1 mm thick to provide thermal insulation.

The shell surfaces were polished and processed to give them special optical properties. On the upper half-shell, two corner vibrator antennas were located crosswise, facing back; each consisted of two arms-pins 2.4 m long (VHF antenna) and 2.9 m each (HF antenna), the angle between the arms in a pair was 70 °; the shoulders were bred to the required angle with a spring
mechanism after separation from the launch vehicle.

Such an antenna provided radiation close to uniform in all directions, which was required for stable radio reception due to the fact that the satellite was not oriented. The design of the antennas was proposed by G. T. Markov (MPEI). On the front half-shell there were four sockets for mounting antennas with pressure seal fittings and a filling valve flange. On the rear half-shell there was an interlocking heel contact, which included an autonomous on-board power supply after the separation of the satellite from the launch vehicle, as well as a flange of the test system connector.

Scheme of the orbit of the first satellite of the Earth. /From the newspaper "Soviet Aviation"/. 1957

Inside the sealed case were placed:

block of electrochemical sources (silver-zinc accumulators);
radio transmitting device;
a fan that is switched on by a thermal relay at temperatures above +30°С and switched off when the temperature drops to +20…23°С;
thermal relay and air duct of the thermal control system;
switching device of onboard electroautomatics; temperature and pressure sensors;
onboard cable network. Weight - 83.6 kg.

Flight parameters

The flight began on October 4, 1957 at 19:28:34 GMT.
The end of the flight - January 4, 1958.
The mass of the device is 83.6 kg.
The maximum diameter is 0.58 m.
Orbital inclination - 65.1°.
The circulation period is 96.2 minutes.
Perigee - 228 km.
Apogee - 947 km.
Vitkov - 1440.

Memory

In honor of the beginning of the space age of mankind in 1964, a 99-meter obelisk "To the Conquerors of Space" was opened in Moscow on Mira Avenue.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik-1, on October 4, 2007, a monument to the First Artificial Earth Satellite was unveiled in the city of Korolev on Cosmonauts Avenue.

An ice plateau on Pluto was named after Sputnik 1 in 2017.

Picking up speed, the rocket confidently went up. Everyone who was involved in the launch of the satellite gathered at the launch pad. The nervous excitement did not subside. Everyone was waiting for the satellite to circle the Earth and appear above the spaceport. “There is a signal,” the voice of the operator rang out over the speakerphone.

At the same second, the sonorous, confident voice of the companion poured out of the speaker over the steppe. Everyone applauded in unison. Someone shouted "Hurrah!", The victory cry was picked up by the rest. Strong handshakes, hugs. An atmosphere of happiness reigned ... Korolev looked around: Ryabinin, Keldysh, Glushko, Kuznetsov, Nesterenko, Bushuev, Pilyugin, Ryazansky, Tikhonravov. Everyone is here, everything is nearby - "a mighty bunch in science and technology", adherents of the ideas of Tsiolkovsky.

It seemed that the general rejoicing of those gathered at that moment on the launch pad could not be appeased. But Korolev got up on the impromptu podium. Silence reigned. He did not hide his joy: his eyes shone, his face, usually stern, shone.

“Today, what the best sons of mankind dreamed of, and among them our famous scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, has come true. He brilliantly predicted that mankind would not remain forever on Earth. The satellite is the first confirmation of his prophecy. The space storm has begun. We can be proud that our Motherland started it. To all - a big Russian thank you!

Here are reviews from the foreign press.

The Italian scientist Beniamino Segre, learning about the satellite, said: “As a person and as a scientist, I am proud of the triumph of the human mind, emphasizing high level socialist science.

Review of the New York Times: “The success of the USSR first of all shows that it greatest feat Soviet science and technology. Such a feat could only be accomplished by a country with first-class conditions in a very wide field of science and technology.

The statement of the German rocket scientist Herman Oberth is curious: “Only a country with a huge scientific and technical potential could successfully solve such a difficult task as launching the first satellite of the Earth. It was also necessary to have a considerable number of specialists. And the Soviet Union has them. I admire the talent of Soviet scientists.”

The most profound assessment of what happened was given by a physicist, laureate Nobel Prize Frederic Joliot-Curie: "This is a great victory man, which is a turning point in the history of civilization. Man is no longer chained to his planet."

In all languages of the world on this day it sounded: “cosmos”, “satellite”, “USSR”, “Russian scientists”.

In 1958 S.P. Korolev makes a report "On the program of exploration of the Moon", supervises the launch of a geophysical rocket with research equipment and two dogs in the descender, participates in organizing the flight of the third artificial Earth satellite - the first scientific station. And a lot more other scientific work was done under his direction.

And finally, the triumph of science - April 12, 1961. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev - leader of the historic human space flight. This day became an event in the history of mankind: for the first time, a man defeated the earth's gravity and rushed into outer space ... Then real courage and courage were required to get into a "space ball", as the ship "Vostok" was sometimes called, and, not thinking about one's own fate, fly away into the boundless starry space.

The day before, Korolev addressed the members of the State Commission: “Dear comrades! Less than four years have passed since the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, and we are already ready for the first manned flight into space. There is a group of cosmonauts here, each of them is ready to make a flight. It was decided that Yuri Gagarin would fly first. Others will follow him in the near future. Next in line we have new flights that will be interesting for science and for the benefit of mankind.”

Korolev's Martian project remained unfinished. New ones will come, those who will continue this project and lead their ships along Milky Way to distant planets, to distant worlds...

On my own behalf, I can add that the glory of the Fatherland is brought and will be brought by the heroes of science, who imprinted Knowledge with their lives.

Above us are the same, as of old, heaven,
And the streams pour their blessings to us in the same way,
And miracles are happening today
And in our day there are prophets...

(V.G. Benediktov)

Greetings, my dear readers! If you look at the sky at night, then among a million stars you can sometimes distinguish bright luminous points that fly through the sky in 10 minutes. These are satellites. In the era of space exploration, these artificial assistants communicate via cellular communication and make it possible to watch TV and listen to the radio, they help ships not to get lost in the vast expanses of the oceans, they broadcast weather for meteorologists.

Do you know which country launched the first artificial Earth satellite, and in what year it was? Not everyone knows for sure that he was sent into space 60 years ago, and this happened in 1957.

Lesson plan:

How it all began?

The USSR was the first in the world to launch an artificial satellite into earth orbit in space. At that time, there was a competition between the Soviet Union and America who would be the first to conquer outer space. Therefore, the team of scientists involved in practical astronautics faced a difficult task - to get ahead of the United States and prove the strength of Soviet science.

The history of the emergence of artificial satellites begins in post-war years at the Jet Institute of the USSR, where scientists were actively engaged in the design of ballistic missiles, tested, measured and improved their flight range. As a result of work under the leadership of Sergei Korolev, a powerful R-7 rocket appeared and the idea arose of creating an artificial satellite that could be sent into orbit with the help of this rocket.

The first spacecraft was given a code name - PS-1, which stands for "the simplest satellite 1." Developed in just a couple of weeks, it really was the simplest, since there was no time to prepare a more complex device - the Americans "stepped on our heels."

What was the first satellite made of?

The first artificial satellite was arranged quite simply - in the form of a ball made of metal, 58.5 centimeters in diameter. The satellite had "horns" - two antennas of 2.9 meters and two of 2.4 meters, and each pair of such "horns" was located at an angle of 70 degrees, "crosswise" so that the radio signal from the device evenly propagated in different sides.

If you unscrew 36 bolts, then the ball could be divided into two halves, which opened the entire "stuffing":

batteries - they had to ensure uninterrupted operation of the satellite for at least two weeks,
radio transmitters that were supposed to transmit signals at two radio frequencies - 20 and 40 megahertz, audible even to ordinary radio amateurs,
a fan that turns on every time the temperature starts to exceed 36 degrees, and turns off automatically when the air cools down to 20 degrees,
temperature control system with sensors that transmitted a signal to the fan about an increase in temperature,
on-board electrics and pressure sensors.

All these elements were entangled with electrical wires and connected into one working mechanism. The mass of the entire satellite was 83.6 kilograms.

The beginning of the space age

The launch of PS-1 took place on October 4, 1957 with the help of the Sputnik launch vehicle created on the basis of the ballistic R-7. The rocket with a small silver ball in its “head” was launched from the Tyura-Tam test site (later this test site became the well-known Baikonur cosmodrome) at 22:28 Moscow time.

After 295 seconds, the satellite entered Earth orbit at an altitude of 947 kilometers, and its first voice in the form of “Beep! Beep! Beep! ”, Which all Soviet radio amateurs were looking forward to near the radios, he filed after 314 seconds. Hundreds of thousands of people stared in amazement at the night sky, trying to find the treasured flying point.

From the life of facts. Due to its small size, the first satellite launched into space theoretically could not be seen naked eye. What then did eyewitnesses see in the sky? It is said that that bright dot was nothing more than a stage from a launch vehicle much larger than the PS-1. She flew for a short time next to the satellite and served as a guide. But she was flying in the neighborhood, so everything is fair!

PS-1 in 92 days of its journey made 1440 revolutions around the Earth, flying approximately 60 million kilometers. On January 4, 1958, he lost speed and burned out due to friction with the air when he entered the dense atmospheric layers on the way back. Therefore, at exhibitions today you can see only reproduced copies of it.

Launched: what's next?

The flight of the first terrestrial satellite became the starting point for the active exploration of outer space. Who would have known that after the first signals from orbit it would become clear that only fractions of one second separated the success of Soviet science and the failure of a rocket launch.

It turns out that at the 16th second of the flight, the fuel supply system went haywire, because the central engine turned off earlier than expected. This might not be enough to gain the desired speed, the rocket would simply fall back to Earth. But then luck smiled at the scientists, and the Soviet Union rightfully became the first.

Thanks to this launch, scientists received important technical information for them on further calculations of the trajectories of the rocket, the operation of systems, and the passage of signals. Astronomers calculated the density of the atmosphere from the change in the speed of the satellite, which no one could do before.

A little later, on November 3 of the same year, the USSR sent a second satellite into space, equipping it with different equipment and putting the commander, the dog Laika, behind the wheel. And then more and more. You have probably already read the history of the conquest of space - from to.

The first earth satellite has a monument. It was opened 50 years after its launch, in 2007, in Korolev.

Now you know how our space exploration began. Today, no one thinks and is not surprised how the most complex devices work, how cellular communications appeared and how we can access the World Wide Web. For us, this is commonplace, which appeared thanks to the work of Soviet scientists 60 years ago.

Let's now see how it was.

On this I say goodbye to you, setting off for new interesting facts about everything in the world. I'm waiting for you on the pages of "School".

How and when was the first satellite launched?

The country that was the first in the world to create and launch an operational satellite into a planetary orbit was USSR. We all know what he looked like. It was a funny metal ball with four straight branches, but it was this apparatus that became a symbol of the scientific and technical superiority of the Soviet Union.

The satellite itself was launched sixty years ago, October 4, 1957, exactly at 22:29 Moscow time. Five minutes after launch, he began to give special signals. "Beep! Beep! - call signs sounded. People from the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouting "Hurrah!", shaking the designers and engineers. It was then that the TASS message sounded: “Thanks to the great and hard work of research institutes, together with design bureaus, a the first artificial earth satellite».

Soviet Sputnik-1 flew 92 days, he did exactly 1440 rpm around our planet (which is more than 60 million square kilometers). His signals were received for two weeks from the moment of launch. But due to friction against the air atmospheric layers, the apparatus lost its speed, reached dense layers, where it burned out due to friction against the air.

The meaning and results of the launch of the satellite

The launch of the world's first satellite had an unprecedented rise in the pride of the people for their country, and a strong blow was dealt to the prestige of the United States. This happened despite all the erroneous opinions about the technical backwardness of the USSR.

The launch of Sputnik-1 pursued several main goals at once:

First, it was necessary to check technical performance the device itself;
Secondly, it was necessary to find out how open space conditions affect hardware;
third, define signal level satellite through different layers of the atmosphere.

Despite the absence of complex scientific equipment in the satellite, surveillance of the signals transmitted by it yielded many useful results. Several space theories who have contributed to development of world cosmonautics.

The creation of the first satellite was of great importance for the development of space science. There are interesting facts related to its launch:

in the Soviet magazine "Radio" were printed in advance instructions for capturing a space signal from Sputnik-1;
calculations, to determine the coordinates of a spacecraft with a time reference, then took more than 30-60 minutes. To date, all these calculations are carried out by a computer for 1-2 seconds;
to the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik-1, he was installed monument;
it was the launch of this apparatus that forced the States to create NASA;
even before the Americans launched their first satellite, Soviet scientists were able to create Sputnik-2 in 1957. Then on board the apparatus was the first living being is an ordinary dog. After launch, the animal was expected to live in planetary orbit for more than a week, but it died almost immediately after launch due to severe internal overheating;
today's Internet owes its existence to Sputnik-1, because it was he who influenced the development by the Americans world wide web.