1957 artificial satellite. The first artificial space satellite of the Earth - general information

The first artificial earth satellite, which was successfully launched on October 4, 1957, marked the beginning of a new era - the era of the conquest of outer space.

This colossal technical breakthrough is the merit of a team of Soviet scientists and designers led by the recognized founder of astronautics S.P. Korolev.

General information about Sputnik 1

"Sputnik - 1" was originally called "PS - 1". This name stands for “The simplest satellite - 1”. It is a spherical object made of high-strength magnesium alloy.

The diameter of the sphere is 58 cm. It consists of two parts connected by bolts. Four VHF and HF antennas are mounted on its surface. The presence of antennas allows you to track its location during the flight.

The upper part of the satellite has a hemispherical screen. It plays the role of a thermal insulation coating. Inside the satellite there are batteries, a radio transmitter and all the necessary instruments and sensors.

History of creation

Attempts to create an artificial satellite were made long before PS-1 flew. Leading German designer Wernher von Braun worked on the creation of an unmanned orbital object.

As an employee of the American Strategic Weapons Service, he presented his experimental model of a spacecraft to the military. But none of his attempts were successful.

In the USSR, teams of enthusiastic engineers worked selflessly on this idea. They were not assembled in design laboratories or in spacious hangars and workshops. Ideas for space flight originated in metalwork shops and basements.

1946 was the year of the creation of the USSR rocket industry, the head of which was appointed the brilliant Soviet designer S. P. Korolev. Despite the fact that the country has not yet recovered from the terrible consequences of the Second World War, Soviet scientists and engineers managed to create a powerful technical base.

A few years later, the first successful launch of the R-1 ballistic missile was carried out. Subsequently, its analogue “R-2” was launched, which was distinguished by its large range and flight speed.

Model of the first space satellite

After successful testing of the new intercontinental missile"R-3", Soviet scientists managed to convince the government of the feasibility of creating the first space satellite.

In 1955, this project received the approval of the highest authorities, which was the beginning of hard work to create the world's first orbital facility.

It is difficult to say with complete certainty who invented and created artificial satellites. This is largely due to the entire team of designers and engineers headed by S.P. Korolev and M.K. Tikhonravov.

Two years later, the satellite was ready. His weight was about 84 kg. The shape of the satellite was not chosen by chance. It is the sphere that represents the ideal shape, with maximum volume with minimum surface.

In addition, this object was supposed to become a symbol space age and be an example of an ideal spacecraft, primarily in terms of its appearance.

Launch of the first artificial Earth satellite

Every day space became more and more accessible. On October 4, 1957, in the Kazakh steppe, one of the greatest events in the history of mankind took place - an intercontinental rocket with a spherical object on board was launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The R-7 launch vehicle soared upward with a piercing roar. A few minutes later, the spacecraft was launched into orbit, the altitude of which was about 950 km.

After some time, the first man-made object set off on its legendary free flight. The long-awaited signals began to be received on the ground.

The satellite flew over the earth for 92 days, making 1400 revolutions. After this, the companion was destined to die. Losing speed, it began to approach the surface of the earth and simply burned out, overcoming the resistance of the atmosphere.

After the first orbit around the Earth, the main announcer of the country of the Soviets, Yu. B. Levitan, announced the successful launch of the first satellite.

Thanks to special settings for the power of the radio transmitter, the signal from the satellite could be easily received by both specialists and ordinary radio amateurs. Millions of people around the world clung to their radio speakers to hear the “voice from space.”

For each revolution around the Earth, the satellite spent an average of 95–96 minutes. It is noteworthy that the satellite as such was not visible to the naked eye, although after its launch a moving dot could be observed in the sky.

In fact, this flying star is nothing more than the last stage of the launch vehicle, which continued to move in orbit for some time until it burned up in the atmosphere.

It is worth noting: despite the fact that all the instruments and control devices of the device were created, as they say, from scratch, not a single one of them failed during the flight.

When creating electronic power supplies we used Newest technologies those years that had no analogues in any country for many years.

Scientific results of the Sputnik-1 flight

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this legendary event. In addition to strengthening faith in space flight and increasing the country's prestige, he made an invaluable contribution to the development and strengthening of the scientific potential of that time.

Analysis of the PS-1 flight made it possible to begin the study of the ionosphere, the properties of which had not been fully studied. In particular, scientists were interested in the issue of the propagation of radio waves in its environment. In addition, measurements of atmospheric density parameters and its effect on the orbital object were carried out.

Analysis of the collected data has become a good help in the design and creation of new components and mechanisms of future spacecraft.

Some of the most interesting facts:

The era of space exploration remembers many significant events, each of which was achieved at the cost of incredible efforts and losses. One way or another, the thorny path to the stars was laid precisely then - on October 4, 1957.

It was this date that served as the starting point for the development of domestic cosmonautics as an independent industry and determined its future fate.

Flight parameters

• Start of flight- October 4, 1957 at 19:28:34 GMT
• End of flight- 4 January
• Device weight- 83.6 kg;
• Max diameter- 0.58 m.
• Orbital inclination- 65.1°.
• Circulation period- 96.7 min.
• Perigee- 228 km.
• Apogee- 947 km.
• Vitkov - 1440

Device

The satellite's body consisted of two half-shells with connecting frames connected to each other by 36 bolts. The tightness of the joint was ensured by a rubber gasket. In the upper half-shell there were two antennas, each of two pins 2.4 m and 2.9 m long. Inside sealed housing were placed: a block of electrochemical sources; radio transmitting device; fan; thermal relay and air duct of the thermal control system; switching device for on-board electrical automation; temperature and pressure sensors; onboard cable network.

Launch history

Satellite signal

The flight of the first satellite was preceded by titanic work by Soviet rocket designers led by Sergei Korolev.

1947-1957. In ten years from V-2 to PS-1.

The history of the creation of the First Sputnik is the history of a rocket. The rocket technology of the Soviet Union and the United States had a German origin.

The developed project of a rocket of a new layout was approved by the Council of Ministers of the USSR on November 20, 1954. It was necessary to as soon as possible solve many new problems, which included, in addition to the development and construction of the rocket itself, choosing a location for the launch site, building launch facilities, commissioning all the necessary services and equipping the entire 7,000-kilometer flight route with observation posts. The first complex of the R-7 rocket was built and tested during 1955-1956 at the Leningrad Metal Plant, at the same time, in accordance with the government decree of February 12, 1955, construction of NIIP-5 began in the area of ​​the Tyura-Tam station. When the first rocket in the factory workshop was already assembled, the plant was visited by a delegation of the main members of the Politburo, headed by N. S. Khrushchev. The rocket made a stunning impression not only on the Soviet leadership, but also on leading scientists.

We [nuclear scientists] thought that our scale was large, but there we saw something that was an order of magnitude larger. I was struck by the enormous technical culture visible to the naked eye, the coordinated work of hundreds of highly qualified people and their almost everyday, but very business attitude to the fantastic things they dealt with...

- (collection “First Space”, p. 18)

On January 30, 1956, the government signed a decree on the creation and launch into orbit in 1957-1958. “Object “D”” - a satellite weighing 1000-1400 kg carrying 200-300 kg of scientific equipment. The development of the equipment was entrusted to the USSR Academy of Sciences, the construction of the satellite was entrusted to OKB-1, and the launch was entrusted to the Ministry of Defense. By the end of 1956, it became clear that reliable equipment for the satellite could not be created in the required time frame.

Multimedia

• The sound of a signal from the first artificial satellite(info)

Literature

• First Space (a collection of articles dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the space age) / compiled by O. V. Zakutnyaya. - M.: 2007. - ISBN 978-5-902533-03-0

Links

• “Sputnik as a Warning,” Los Angeles Times, September 30, 2007 - “Moscow was the first to go into space to show in the face of US provocation military force. Fifty years have passed - and the same thing is starting again” - Matthew Brzezinski.
• “France celebrates the anniversary of the launch of the first Soviet satellite,” Izvestia. Ru”, 10/04/07 - “A stamp dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first satellite and human exploration of space has been issued”
• A satellite instead of a bomb. Documentary Roscosmos television studio

Notes

Sputnik series
Previous flight: -	Sputnik-1	Next flight:

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

Here is a photo taken in the hall of the Space Research Institute Russian Academy Sci.

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

If you can't read it in the picture, here are their names:

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

October 4, 1957 will forever go down in human history as the beginning of a new era - the cosmic era. It was on this day that the first artificial satellite (AES), Sputnik-1, was sent from the Baikonur Cosmodrome to roam space. 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 there is not a person in Russia who does not know who was the first man in space.

The situation with the first satellite is more complicated. Many don't even know which country it belonged to.

So it began 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 about 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 just a dreamer.

Then new times came, the country had many things to do and problems besides rocket science. But two decades later, Friedrich Zander and the now famous aviator engineer Korolenko founded a group to study jet propulsion. After this, 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 person was launched:

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

The device itself was ready in mid-May at 7 pm. Its device was quite simple; it had 2 beacons, which made it possible to measure its flight trajectories. It is interesting that after sending the notification that the satellite was ready for flight, Korolev did not receive any response from Moscow and independently decided to place the satellite at the launch position.

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

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

Its pros and cons are known. And this is of no small importance.

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

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

On the morning of October 3, 1957, scientists, designers, members of the State Commission - everyone who was associated with the launch - gathered at the installation and testing building. We were waiting for the two-stage Sputnik rocket and space system to be transported to the launch pad.

The metal gate opened. The locomotive seemed to push out a rocket placed on a special platform. Sergey Pavlovich, installing 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!”

There were only a few hours left before the start of the space age. What awaited Korolev and his associates? Will October 4 be the victorious day that he has dreamed of for many years? The sky, dotted 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, looking into the dark sky, twinkling with myriads of near and distant stars? Maybe he remembered the words of Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky: “The first great step of humanity 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 over 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 have passed 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, SOVIET SPACE VEHICLE LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT.”

The launch was carried out from the 5th research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense "Tyura-Tam" on the 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, PS-1 and the central block (II stage) of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched to

elliptical orbit with an altitude of 947 km at apogee and 288 km at perigee. At the same time, the apogee was in the Southern Hemisphere, and the perigee was in the Northern Hemisphere. 314.5 seconds after launch, the protective cone was released and Sputnik separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and it cast its vote. “Beep! Beep! - that was his call sign.

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, shouted “Hurray!”, shook the designers and military personnel.

And on the first orbit a TASS message sounded:

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

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

The unit entered mode less than a second before the control time. At the 16th second of the flight, the tank emptying system (TES) failed, and due to increased kerosene consumption, the central engine turned off 1 second earlier than the estimated time. According to the memoirs of B.E. Chertok: “A little more - and the first cosmic speed might not have been achieved.

But the winners are not judged! A great thing has happened!”

The inclination of Sputnik 1's orbit was about 65 degrees, which meant that Sputnik 1 flew approximately between the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle, shifting 24 degrees along longitude 37 due to the Earth's rotation during each orbit.

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

History of creation

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

Here are their names:

1. Valentin Semenovich Etkin - probing the Earth's surface from space using remote radiophysical methods.
2. Pavel Efimovich Elyasberg - during the launch of the first Artificial Earth Satellite, he led the work on determining orbits and predicting the movement of the satellite based on measurement results.
3. Yan Lvovich Ziman - his PhD thesis, defended at MIIGAiK, was devoted to the issues of choosing orbits for satellites.
4. Georgy Ivanovich Petrov - together with S.P. Korolev and M.V. Keldysh, stood at the origins of astronautics.
5. Joseph Samuilovich Shklovsky is the founder of the school of modern astrophysics.
6. Georgy Stepanovich Narimanov - programs and methods of navigation and ballistic support for flight control of artificial earth satellites.
7. 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.
8. Yuri Ilyich Galperin - magnetospheric research.
9. Semyon Samoilovich Moiseev - plasma and hydrodynamics.
10. Vasily Ivanovich Moroz - Physics of planets and small bodies of the Solar system.

Satellite device

The satellite's body consisted of two power hemispherical shells with a diameter of 58.0 cm made of aluminum-magnesium alloy AMg-6 with a thickness of 2 mm with docking frames connected to each other 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 vacuum rubber gasket. The upper half-shell had a smaller radius and was covered with a hemispherical outer screen 1 mm thick to provide thermal insulation.

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

Such an antenna provided nearly uniform radiation in all directions, which was required for stable radio reception due to the fact that the satellite was unoriented. The design of the antennas was proposed by G. T. Markov (MPEI). On the front half-shell there were four sockets for attaching antennas with pressure seal fittings and a filling valve flange. On the rear half-shell there was a locking heel contact, which included an autonomous on-board power supply after separation of the satellite from the launch vehicle, as well as a test system connector flange.

Orbit diagram of the first Earth satellite. /From the newspaper “Soviet Aviation”/. 1957

Inside the sealed case were placed:

• block of electrochemical sources (silver-zinc batteries);
• radio transmitting device;
• a fan that turns on from a thermal relay at temperatures above +30°C and turns off when the temperature drops to +20...23°C;
• thermal relay and air duct of the thermal control system;
• switching device for on-board electrical automation; 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.
• End of flight - January 4, 1958.
• The weight of the device is 83.6 kg.
• Maximum diameter - 0.58 m.
• Orbital inclination is 65.1°.
• The orbital 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, a 99-meter obelisk “To the Conquerors of Space” was opened in 1964 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 Kosmonavtov Avenue.

An icy 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 fly around the Earth and appear above the cosmodrome. “There is a signal,” the operator’s voice came over the speakerphone.

At that same second, the clear, confident voice of the satellite poured out of the speaker over the steppe. Everyone applauded in unison. Someone shouted “Hurray!”, and the others echoed the victorious cry. Strong handshakes, hugs. An atmosphere of happiness reigned... Korolev looked around: Ryabinin, Keldysh, Glushko, Kuznetsov, Nesterenko, Bushuev, Pilyugin, Ryazansky, Tikhonravov. Everyone is here, everyone is nearby - “a mighty group in science and technology”, adherents of Tsiolkovsky’s ideas.

It seemed that the general jubilation of those gathered at those minutes on the launch pad was impossible to subdue. But then Korolev stood up on the makeshift podium. Silence reigned. He did not hide his joy: his eyes sparkled, his usually stern face glowed.

“Today what the best sons of humanity dreamed of, and among them our famous scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, has come true. He brilliantly predicted that humanity would not remain on Earth forever. The companion is the first confirmation of his prophecy. The assault on space has begun. We can be proud that our Motherland started it. Thank you very much to everyone!”

Here are reviews from the foreign press.

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

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

The statement of the German rocket scientist Hermann Oberth is interesting: “Only a country with enormous scientific and technical potential could successfully solve such a complex problem as launching the first Earth satellite. It was also necessary to have a considerable number of specialists. And them Soviet Union It has. I admire the talent of Soviet scientists."

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

In all the languages ​​of the world on this day they sounded: “space”, “sputnik”, “USSR”, “Russian scientists”.

In 1958 S.P. Korolev gives a report “On the lunar exploration program”, supervises the launch of a geophysical rocket with research equipment and two dogs in the descent vehicle, and participates in organizing the flight of the third artificial Earth satellite - the first scientific station. And a lot more scientific work was done under his leadership.

And finally, the triumph of science - April 12, 1961. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev - leader of the historical human flight into space. This day became an event in the history of mankind: for the first time a man defeated gravity and rushed into outer space... Then real courage and courage were required to board the “space ball,” as the ship “Vostok” was sometimes called, and, without thinking about one’s own fate, be carried away into the boundless starry space.

The day before, Korolev spoke to 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 human flight into space. There is a group of astronauts here, each of them is ready to fly. It was decided that Yuri Gagarin would fly first. Others will follow him in the near future. We have new flights coming up that will be interesting for science and for the benefit of humanity.”

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

On my own behalf, I can add that the heroes of science, who have imprinted Knowledge with their lives, bring and will continue to bring glory to the Fatherland.

Above us are the same skies as in ancient times,
And in the same way they pour their blessings upon us,
And miracles are happening these days,
And today there are prophets...

(V.G. Benediktov)

On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit, ushering in the space age in human history.

The satellite, which became the first artificial celestial body, was launched into orbit by the R-7 launch vehicle from the 5th Research Test Site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the open name Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Our correspondent was informed about this by the press service of Roscosmos.

The PS-1 spacecraft (the simplest satellite-1) was a ball with a diameter of 58 centimeters, weighed 83.6 kilograms, and was equipped with four pin antennas 2.4 and 2.9 meters long for transmitting signals from battery-powered transmitters.

295 seconds after launch, PS-1 and the central block of the rocket, weighing 7.5 tons, were launched into an elliptical orbit with an altitude of 947 km at apogee and 288 km at perigee. At 315 seconds after launch, the satellite separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and its call signs were immediately heard by the whole world.

“...On October 4, 1957, the first satellite was successfully launched in the USSR. According to preliminary data, the launch vehicle gave the satellite the required orbital speed of about 8,000 meters per second. Currently, the satellite describes elliptical trajectories around the Earth and its flight can be observed in the rays of the rising and setting Sun using simple optical instruments (binoculars, telescopes, etc.). According to calculations, which are now being refined by direct observations, the satellite will move at altitudes of up to 900 kilometers above the Earth’s surface; the time of one complete revolution of the satellite will be 1 hour 35 minutes, the angle of inclination of the orbit to the equatorial plane is 65°. On October 5, 1957, the satellite will pass over the Moscow area twice - at 1 hour 46 minutes. at night and at 6 o'clock. 42 min. morning Moscow time. Messages about the subsequent movement of the first artificial satellite, launched in the USSR on October 4, will be transmitted regularly by broadcast radio stations. The satellite has the shape of a ball with a diameter of 58 cm and a weight of 83.6 kg. It has two radio transmitters that continuously emit radio signals with a frequency of 20.005 and 40.002 megahertz (wavelength about 15 and 7.5 meters, respectively). Transmitter powers ensure reliable reception of radio signals by a wide range of radio amateurs. The signals take the form of telegraphic messages lasting about 0.3 seconds. with a pause of the same duration. A signal of one frequency is sent during a pause of a signal of another frequency...”

Scientists M.V. Keldysh, M.K. Tikhonravov, N.S. Lidorenko, V.I. Lapko, B.S. worked on the creation of an artificial Earth satellite, led by the founder of practical cosmonautics S.P. Korolev. Chekunov and many others. The PS-1 satellite flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, completing 1,440 revolutions around the Earth (about 60 million kilometers), and its radio transmitters operated for two weeks after launch. The launch of an artificial Earth satellite was of enormous importance for understanding the properties of outer space and studying the Earth as a planet in our solar system.

Analysis of the received signals from the satellite gave scientists the opportunity to study the upper layers of the ionosphere, which was not possible before. In addition, information about the operating conditions of the equipment, which was very useful for further launches, was obtained, all calculations were checked, and the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere was determined based on the braking of the satellite.

The launch of the first artificial Earth satellite received a huge worldwide response. The whole world learned about his flight. The entire world press talked about this event. In September 1967, the International Astronautical Federation proclaimed October 4 as the Day of the Beginning of the Human Space Age.

On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched into low-Earth orbit, ushering in the space age in human history.

The satellite, which became the first artificial celestial body, was launched into orbit by the R-7 launch vehicle from the 5th Research Test Site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the open name Baikonur Cosmodrome.

PS-1 spacecraft(the simplest satellite-1) was a ball with a diameter of 58 centimeters, weighed 83.6 kilograms, and was equipped with four pin antennas 2.4 and 2.9 meters long for transmitting signals from battery-powered transmitters. 295 seconds after launch, PS-1 and the central block of the rocket, weighing 7.5 tons, were launched into an elliptical orbit with an altitude of 947 km at apogee and 288 km at perigee. At 315 seconds after launch, the satellite separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and its call signs were immediately heard by the whole world.

“...On October 4, 1957, the first satellite was successfully launched in the USSR. According to preliminary data, the launch vehicle gave the satellite the required orbital speed of about 8,000 meters per second. Currently, the satellite describes elliptical trajectories around the Earth and its flight can be observed in the rays of the rising and setting Sun using simple optical instruments (binoculars, telescopes, etc.).

According to calculations, which are now being refined by direct observations, the satellite will move at altitudes of up to 900 kilometers above the Earth’s surface; the time of one complete revolution of the satellite will be 1 hour 35 minutes, the angle of inclination of the orbit to the equatorial plane is 65°. On October 5, 1957, the satellite will pass over the Moscow area twice - at 1 hour 46 minutes. at night and at 6 o'clock. 42 min. morning Moscow time. Messages about the subsequent movement of the first artificial satellite, launched in the USSR on October 4, will be transmitted regularly by broadcast radio stations.

The satellite has the shape of a ball with a diameter of 58 cm and a weight of 83.6 kg. It has two radio transmitters that continuously emit radio signals with a frequency of 20.005 and 40.002 megahertz (wavelength about 15 and 7.5 meters, respectively). Transmitter powers ensure reliable reception of radio signals by a wide range of radio amateurs. The signals take the form of telegraphic messages lasting about 0.3 seconds. with a pause of the same duration. A signal of one frequency is sent during a pause of a signal of another frequency...”

Scientists M.V. Keldysh, M.K. Tikhonravov, N.S. Lidorenko, V.I. Lapko, B.S. worked on the creation of an artificial Earth satellite, led by the founder of practical cosmonautics S.P. Korolev. Chekunov and many others.

The PS-1 satellite flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, completing 1,440 revolutions around the Earth (about 60 million kilometers), and its radio transmitters operated for two weeks after launch.

The launch of an artificial Earth satellite was of enormous importance for understanding the properties of outer space and studying the Earth as a planet in our solar system. Analysis of the received signals from the satellite gave scientists the opportunity to study the upper layers of the ionosphere, which was not possible before. In addition, information about the operating conditions of the equipment, which was very useful for further launches, was obtained, all calculations were checked, and the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere was determined based on the braking of the satellite.

The launch of the first artificial Earth satellite received a huge worldwide response. The whole world learned about his flight. The entire world press talked about this event.

In September 1967, the International Astronautical Federation proclaimed October 4 as the Day of the Beginning of the Human Space Age.

Press service of Roscosmos