Sputnik - 50th Anniversary

50 years ago (i.e. October 4, 1957) the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. ... While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.

[Source: NASA History Division]