Sputnik 1 (/ˈspʌtnɪk, ˈspʊtnɪk/, ‹See Tfd›Russian: Спутник-1, Satellite 1) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for three weeks before its three silver-zinc batteries became depleted. Aerodynamic drag caused it to fall back into the atmosphere on 4 January 1958. The world’s first observation was made at the school observatory in Rodewisch (Saxony).

It was a polished metal sphere 58 cm (23 in) in diameter with four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses. Its radio signal was easily detectable by amateur radio operators, and the 65° orbital inclination made its flight path cover virtually the entire inhabited Earth.

The satellite’s success was unanticipated by the United States. This precipitated the American Sputnik crisis and triggered the Space Race, part of the Cold War. The launch was the beginning of a new era of political, military, technological, and scientific developments. The word sputnik is Russian for satellite when interpreted in an astronomical context; its other meanings are spouse or traveling companion.

Tracking and studying Sputnik 1 from Earth provided scientists with valuable information. The density of the upper atmosphere could be deduced from its drag on the orbit, and the propagation of its radio signals gave data about the ionosphere.

Sputnik 1 was launched during the International Geophysical Year from Site No.1/5, at the 5th Tyuratam range, in Kazakh SSR (now known as the Baikonur Cosmodrome). The satellite traveled at a peak speed of about 8 km/s (18,000 mph), taking 96.20 minutes to complete each orbit. It transmitted on 20.005 and 40.002 MHz, which were monitored by radio operators throughout the world. The signals continued for 22 days until the transmitter batteries depleted on 26 October 1957. On 4 January 1958, after three months in orbit, Sputnik 1 burned up while reentering Earth’s atmosphere, having completed 1,440 orbits of the Earth, and travelling a distance of approximately 70,000,000 km (43,000,000 mi).

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  • ThisMachinePostsHog [they/them, he/him]@hexbear.net
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    3 months ago

    Reddit’s such a weird place. I wasn’t doing well last night and found /r/S*icideWatch and wrote a post looking for help and advice. I woke up this morning to zero comments and my post was downvoted, lmao. (edit: I know going to that site in the first place wasn’t a good idea, but I naively thought that a community specifically for people struggling with ideation would be a safe space)

    • Caruna [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      3 months ago

      It’s truly sick. I only gain comfort from the fact that it’s not real life and that those same people would never behave that way publicly but at the same time that gives you a glimpse into their authentic id and it’s disgusting to see.

      But it was the recent Gaza atrocities which put it over the top for me. Actually there is a refreshingly large contingent of human beings when it comes to this issue, but the Zionist are so vicious and brutal , even in their rhetoric, that its difficult to manage the rage which they inspire.