Computer illustration of the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1 in Earth orbit with a trace of its transmission (beep) back to Earth. This spacecraft, the first ever spacecraft to reach Earth orbit, was launched on 4th October 1957 by the Soviet Union. It was a highly polished aluminium alloy sphere, 58 centimetres in diameter, with four long antennas attached to it. It transmitted radio signals back to Earth for a period of 23 days. Sputnik 1 burned up as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 4th January 1958. The launch of Sputnik 1 took the USA by surprise, starting what became known as the Space Race between the USA and USSR. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Van Ravenswaay, Detlev |
Bildgröße: | 5315 px × 5315 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |