By: Azhar Azam
Artificial satellite is a man-made object which is launched by human in space to orbit earth. Some take pictures of the planet and help meteorologists to predict weather and predict hurricanes.
Others take pictures of the other planets such as the sun, the black holes, and other galaxies – helping scientists to better understand solar system and universe. Thousands of artificial satellites orbit the earth.
Former Soviet Union was the first country to have successfully launched first-ever artificial satellite – Sputnik 1 (Спутник) – and entered the Earth’s orbit on October 4, 1957.
Its full name was ‘Prosteyshiy Sputnik 1’ which means ‘Elementary Satellite’ or ‘Travelling Companion'. Sputnik 1 was a beach ball sized satellite and its diameter was only about 58 centimeters and it weighed 184 pounds.
From here onward, the space race began.
The news of unmanned Sputnik 1 dropped a ‘bombshell’ on the US administration and shook the Americans. As the ‘Red Baby Moon’ orbited the earth, Americans were dismayed as how Soviets could be much technological superior to the United States.
As the Americans were not yet recovered from the first Soviet’s blow, Soviets gave them another newer space sensation on November 3, 1957. The spacecraft – Sputnik 2 – weighed 250 pounds and carried first-ever live passenger, Laika, a dog.
The technical team of Sputnik 1 was called back from vacation that assembled Sputnik 2 in just one month after the launch of first satellite. The equipment was already developed for dog sounding rocket flights.
A total of three dogs – Albina, Laika, and Mushka – were trained in the flight preperations.
Although the US President Dwight Eisenhower tried to downplay the Soviet’s remarkable lead in space over America but he poured additional funds and resources into the space program to catch up Soviet Union.
In December 1957, the US government suffered yet another embarrassment after its first artificial satellite – Vanguard – exploded on the launch pad. The chagrin served as a vexing reminder of the lack of US military capability against the Soviets.
The United States finally succeeded to successfully launch its first artificial satellite – the Explorer (Explorer 1) – on January 31, 1958. The Explorer was smaller in size to Sputnik; however its launch sent it deep into space.
In the late 1950s, both the Soviet Union and the United States started competing each other for technological superiority and growing stockpile of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs).
In 1958, President Eisenhower signed a public order to form a federal agency – National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) – dedicated to space exploration. From 1961 to 1964, NASA’s budget was increased by 500% and involved 34,000 employees.
After the Apollo setback in January 1967 which killed three astronauts – the United States eventually succeeded in its first lunar landing attempt on July 16, 1969 – Apollo 11 – carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Armstrong became the first human to walk on moon’s surface on July 20, 1960. About 20 minutes later, Aldrin joined him. Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon while Michael Collins commanded the Command Module, Columbia.
Although by landing on the moon, the United States effectively won the space race but the success of Sputnik had a major impact on the cold war as it unchecked a row of space and arms race between both the countries.
Eventually, the spacefight between the two countries ended in 1975 but the cold war continued.
In 1958, President Eisenhower signed a public order to form a federal agency – National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) – dedicated to space exploration. From 1961 to 1964, NASA’s budget was increased by 500% and involved 34,000 employees.
After the Apollo setback in January 1967 which killed three astronauts – the United States eventually succeeded in its first lunar landing attempt on July 16, 1969 – Apollo 11 – carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin and Michael Collins.
Armstrong became the first human to walk on moon’s surface on July 20, 1960. About 20 minutes later, Aldrin joined him. Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the moon while Michael Collins commanded the Command Module, Columbia.
Although by landing on the moon, the United States effectively won the space race but the success of Sputnik had a major impact on the cold war as it unchecked a row of space and arms race between both the countries.
Eventually, the spacefight between the two countries ended in 1975 but the cold war continued.