History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1. The name comes from a Russian word for “traveling companion of the world.”

The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball and weighed only 184 pounds. Sputnik 1 was lofted into space by an R7 rocket. It carried a thermometer and two radio transmitters. Circling the earth once every 96.2 minutes it transmitted atmospheric information by radio, but its two transmitters only functioned for 21 days. After 57 days in orbit, it was destroyed while reentering the atmosphere.

The launch of Sputnik 1 ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While it was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.

Check out this Sputnik 1 Pictures Gallery