1. Sputnik launched into orbit
October, 4, 1957

2. Sputnik I
Sputnik I which means “Satellite 1” in Russian was the worlds first artificial satellite.
It was launched by the Soviet Union and it was about the size of a beach ball.
Sputnik could be seen before sunrise or after sunset with binoculars and it sent out radio signals that reached the radio operators on Earth.
This satellite represented a major step in communication technology.
Sputnik marked the start of a space race between the Soviet Union and U.S

3. Space Race
In 1952 the International Council of Scientific Unions declared that the International Geophysical Year (IGY) would be from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958.
The (IGY) is a solar period that is ideal in studying the Earth and the solar system by launching artificial satellites.
In 1954 the International Council of Scientific Unions decided that artificial satellites should be launched in the (IGY) to map Earth’s surface.
In 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower, the U.S president, declared that the U.S will launch an artificial satellite during the (IGY).

4. On October, 4, 1957 the Sputnik I was launched and the U
On October, 4, 1957 the Sputnik I was launched and the U.S was caught off guard by this achievement.
Sputnik was much larger then the satellite that the U.S was going to launch in the following year.
It created new fears towards the Americans and they were worried that the Soviet Union will be able to build missiles that would hold nuclear weapons.
The U.S attempts to catch up to the Soviet Union created the Space Race which was part of the Cold War.

5. Sputnik II and Explorer I
After Sputnik I was launched the U.S began to work on another satellite project to catch up to the Soviet Union.
However, on November, 3,1957 the Soviet Union made a bigger technological achievement when they launched a dog called Laika in Sputnik II.
On January, 4, 1958 Sputnik I burned up and fell after staying for 3 months in its orbit.
Then on January, 31, 1958 the U.S finally launched their first satellite called Explorer I.
The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was created after the launch of the Sputnik, and Explorer I was able to discover the magnetic belts around Earth.

6. The End