Sputnik 1 and the Space Race

The Beginning of the Sputnik Project

Dec 17, 1954

At this time the Soviet Union was planing to send an artificial satellite into orbit. The main designer was Sergei P. Korolev. Source: Wikipedia

Us Announces Plans

Jul 29, 1955

President Eisenhower said that the US would send an artificial satellite into space. Source: Wikipedia

Plan for Sputnik Approved

Jan 30, 1956

The Council of Ministers, a part of the Soviet goverment, approved a plan that would become Sputnik. Source: Wikipedia

Launch of Sputnik 1

Oct 4, 1957

The USSR sent Sputnik into space as the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. Source: Milestones of Flight

Launch of Sputnik 2

Nov 3, 1957

Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched from the Earth. It was difrent from Sputnik 1 because it it had a dog in it . This made it the first biological spacecraft. Source: NASA

Sputnik 1 Started to Die

Jan 4, 1958

After 92 days in orbit, Sputnik 1 started to die. After about 1400 trips around the Earth, its orbit started to decay. Source: NASA

The Launch of Explorer 1

Jan 31, 1958

The US used a Jupiter-C rocket to put Explorer 1 into to orbit. Eploxer 1 was America's first articifial satellite. Now that the US and the USSR has launched satellites, the Space Race was on. Source: Milestones of FlightT

Launch of Vangaurd 1

Mar 17, 1958

The US sent their second artificial satellite into space. They were in the space race fully. Source: Wikipedia