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81-860: Maxar Technologies Inc. is a space technology company headquartered in Westminster, Colorado , United States, specializing in manufacturing communication, Earth observation, radar, and on-orbit servicing satellites, satellite products, and related services. DigitalGlobe and MDA Holdings Company merged to become Maxar Technologies on October 5, 2017. Maxar Technologies is the parent holding company of Space Systems Loral , headquartered in Palo Alto , California, US; DigitalGlobe, headquartered in Westminster, Colorado , US; and Radiant Solutions, headquartered in Herndon , Virginia, US. From 2017 to 2023, it

162-530: A Delta II rocket exploded 13 seconds after launch on January 17, 1997, there were reports of store windows 10 miles (16 km) away being broken by the blast. Space is a fairly predictable environment, but there are still risks of accidental depressurization and the potential failure of equipment, some of which may be very newly developed. Sputnik 1 Sputnik 1 ( / ˈ s p ʌ t n ɪ k , ˈ s p ʊ t n ɪ k / , Russian : Спутник-1 , Satellite 1 ), sometimes referred to as simply Sputnik ,

243-415: A barometric switch, activated if the pressure inside the satellite fell below 130 kPa, which would have indicated failure of the pressure vessel or puncture by a meteor, and would have changed the duration of radio signal impulse. While attached to the rocket, Sputnik 1 was protected by a cone-shaped payload fairing , with a height of 80 cm (31.5 in). The fairing separated from both Sputnik and

324-469: A definitive agreement to sell MDA's assets to a consortium of financial sponsors led by Northern Private Capital for CA$ 1 billion (US$ 765 million). The sale includes all of MDA's Canadian businesses, encompassing ground stations, radar satellite products, robotics, defense, and satellite components, representing approximately 1,900 employees. On April 8, 2020, the sale of MDA to NPC officially closed. The divesting of its Canadian MDA portion returned MDA to

405-611: A dominant issue in the 1960 presidential campaign . The Communist Party newspaper Pravda only printed a few paragraphs about Sputnik 1 on 4 October. Sputnik also inspired a generation of engineers and scientists. Harrison Storms, the North American designer who was responsible for the X-15 rocket plane, and went on to head the effort to design the Apollo command and service module and Saturn V launch vehicle's second stage,

486-521: A known distance. Tracking of the booster during launch had to be accomplished through purely passive means, such as visual coverage and radar detection. R-7 test launches demonstrated that the tracking cameras were only good up to an altitude of 200 km (120 mi), but radar could track it for almost 500 km (310 mi). Outside the Soviet Union, the satellite was tracked by amateur radio operators in many countries. The booster rocket

567-640: A leading Soviet physicist, announced that they too would launch an artificial satellite. On 8 August, the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union approved the proposal to create an artificial satellite. On 30 August, Vasily Ryabikov—the head of the State Commission on the R-7 rocket test launches—held a meeting where Korolev presented calculation data for a spaceflight trajectory to

648-570: A newly-installed computer at the Academy of Sciences . A special reconnaissance commission selected Tyuratam for the construction of a rocket proving ground , the 5th Tyuratam range, usually referred to as "NIIP-5", or "GIK-5" in the post-Soviet time. The selection was approved on 12 February 1955 by the Council of Ministers of the USSR, but the site would not be completed until 1958. Actual work on

729-543: A perigee of 170 km (106 mi) and an apogee of 36,500 km (22,680 mi). Apollo 11 was followed by Apollo 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 . Apollo 13 had a failure of the Apollo service module , but passed the far side of the Moon at an altitude of 254 kilometers (158 miles; 137 nautical miles) above the lunar surface, and 400,171 km (248,655 mi) from Earth, marking the record for the farthest humans traveled from Earth in 1970. The first robotic lunar rover to land on

810-465: A redesign to completely fulfill its military purpose. The rocket, however, was deemed suitable for satellite launches, and Korolev was able to convince the State Commission to allow the use of the next R-7 to launch PS-1, allowing the delay in the rocket's military exploitation to launch the PS-1 and PS-2 satellites. On 22 September a modified R-7 rocket, named Sputnik and indexed as 8K71PS, arrived at

891-602: A report by Mikhail Tikhonravov , with an overview of similar projects abroad. Tikhonravov had emphasized that the launch of an orbital satellite was an inevitable stage in the development of rocket technology. On 29 July 1955, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced through his press secretary that, during the International Geophysical Year (IGY), the United States would launch an artificial satellite. Four days later, Leonid Sedov ,

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972-961: A separate operating company. The newly formed privately held Canadian company was named MDA Ltd. , which later listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange . In 2022, Maxar published several satellite images that showed a Russian military convoy during its invasion of Ukraine . In September 2023, Maxar was broken into two business units, Maxar Space Infrastructure (based in California, led by CEO Chris Johnson) and Maxar Intelligence (based in Colorado, led by interim CEO Dan Jablonsky). Space technology Many common everyday services for terrestrial use such as weather forecasting , remote sensing , satellite navigation systems, satellite television , and some long-distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure . Of

1053-509: A system of ground stations was to be developed to collect data transmitted by the satellite, observe the satellite's orbit, and transmit commands to the satellite. Because of the limited time frame, observations were planned for only 7 to 10 days and orbit calculations were not expected to be extremely accurate. By the end of 1956, it became clear that the complexity of the ambitious design meant that 'Object D' could not be launched in time because of difficulties creating scientific instruments and

1134-451: A trajectory measurement system called "Tral", developed by OKB MEI (Moscow Energy Institute), by which they received and monitored data from transponders mounted on the R-7 rocket's core stage. The data were useful even after the satellite's separation from the second stage of the rocket; Sputnik's location was calculated from data on the location of the second stage, which followed Sputnik at

1215-428: A velocity of 7,780 m/s (25,500 ft/s), and a velocity vector inclination to the local horizon of 0 degrees 24 minutes. This resulted in an initial elliptical orbit of 223 km (139 mi) by 950 km (590 mi), with an apogee approximately 500 km (310 mi) lower than intended, and an inclination of 65.10° and a period of 96.20 minutes. Several engines did not fire on time, almost aborting

1296-412: 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

1377-504: Is believed to have orbited around the globe. Analysis of the radio signals was used to gather information about the electron density of the ionosphere , while temperature and pressure data was encoded in the duration of radio beeps. The first successful human spaceflight was Vostok 1 , carrying 27-year-old Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in April 1961. The entire mission was controlled by either automatic systems or by ground control . This

1458-409: Is currently at a distance of 145.11 astronomical units (2.1708 × 10  km; 1.3489 × 10  mi) (21.708 billion kilometers; 13.489 billion miles) from Earth as of January 1, 2019. All launch vehicles contain a huge amount of energy that is needed for some part of it to reach orbit. There is therefore some risk that this energy can be released prematurely and suddenly, with significant effects. When

1539-486: Is the general term for the artificial satellites of any country and the natural satellites of any planet. The incorrect attribution of 'Sputnik' as a proper name can be traced back to an article released by The New York Times on October 6, 1957, titled "Soviet 'Sputnik' Means A Traveler's Traveler". In the referenced article, the term 'Sputnik' was portrayed as bearing a poetic connotation arising from its linguistic origins. This connotation incorrectly indicated that it

1620-539: 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

1701-679: The National Aeronautics and Space Act ), as well as increased U.S. government spending on scientific research and education through the National Defense Education Act . Sputnik also contributed directly to a new emphasis on science and technology in American schools. With a sense of urgency, Congress enacted the 1958 National Defense Education Act, which provided low-interest loans for college tuition to students majoring in mathematics and science. After

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1782-522: The USSR Academy of Sciences ' mainframe computer . The Sputnik rocket was launched on 4 October 1957 at 19:28:34 UTC (5 October at the launch site ) from Site No.1 at NIIP-5. Telemetry indicated that the strap-ons separated 116 seconds into the flight and the core stage engine shut down 295.4 seconds into the flight. At shutdown, the 7.5-tonne core stage (with PS-1 attached) had attained an altitude of 223 km (139 mi) above sea level,

1863-483: The All-Union Research Institute of Power Sources (VNIIT) under the leadership of Nikolai S. Lidorenko. Two of these batteries powered the radio transmitter and one powered the temperature regulation system. The batteries had an expected lifetime of two weeks, and operated for 22 days. The power supply was turned on automatically at the moment of the satellite's separation from the second stage of

1944-487: The Antenna Laboratory of OKB-1, led by Mikhail V. Krayushkin. Each antenna was made up of two whip-like parts, 2.4 and 2.9 metres (7.9 and 9.5 ft) in length, and had an almost spherical radiation pattern . The power supply , with a mass of 51 kg (112 lb), was in the shape of an octagonal nut with the radio transmitter in its hole. It consisted of three silver-zinc batteries , developed at

2025-472: The Earth. Organized through the citizen science project Operation Moonwatch , teams of visual observers at 150 stations in the United States and other countries were alerted during the night to watch for the satellite at dawn and during the evening twilight as it passed overhead. The USSR requested amateur and professional radio operators to tape record the signal being transmitted from the satellite. One of

2106-571: The Moon was the Soviet vessel Lunokhod 1 on November 17, 1970, as part of the Lunokhod program . To date, the last human to stand on the Moon was Eugene Cernan , who, as part of the Apollo 17 mission, walked on the Moon in December 1972. Apollo 17 was followed by several uncrewed interplanetary missions operated by NASA. Also Technological innovations in space exploration have important effects on

2187-534: The Moon. They decided to develop a three-stage version of the R-7 rocket for satellite launches. On 30 January 1956, the Council of Ministers approved practical work on an artificial Earth-orbiting satellite. This satellite, named Object D , was planned to be completed in 1957–58; it would have a mass of 1,000 to 1,400 kg (2,200 to 3,100 lb) and would carry 200 to 300 kg (440 to 660 lb) of scientific instruments. The first test launch of "Object D"

2268-677: The Naval Research Laboratory captured recordings of Sputnik 1 during four crossings over the United States. The USAF Cambridge Research Center collaborated with Bendix-Friez , Westinghouse Broadcasting , and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory to obtain a video of Sputnik's rocket body crossing the pre-dawn sky of Baltimore, broadcast on 12 October by WBZ-TV in Boston. The success of Sputnik 1 seemed to have changed minds around

2349-587: The R-7's capabilities by information derived from U-2 spy plane overflight photos, as well as signals and telemetry intercepts. General James M. Gavin wrote in 1958 that he had predicted to the Army Scientific Advisory Panel on 12 September 1957 that the Soviets would launch a satellite within 30 days, and that on 4 October he and Wernher von Braun had agreed that a launch was imminent. The Eisenhower administration's first response

2430-608: The United States as the technological superpower, and the Soviet Union as a backward country. Privately, however, the CIA and President Eisenhower were aware of progress being made by the Soviets on Sputnik from secret spy plane imagery. Together with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Army Ballistic Missile Agency built Explorer 1 , and launched it on 31 January 1958. Before work

2511-399: The United States as woefully behind. One of the many books that suddenly appeared for the lay-audience noted seven points of "impact" upon the nation: Western leadership, Western strategy and tactics, missile production, applied research, basic research, education, and democratic culture. As public and the government became interested in space and related science and technology, the phenomenon

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2592-453: The West. When the Soviets began using Sputnik in their propaganda, they emphasized pride in the achievement of Soviet technology, arguing that it demonstrated the Soviets' superiority over the West. People were encouraged to listen to Sputnik's signals on the radio and to look out for Sputnik in the night sky. While Sputnik itself had been highly polished, its small size made it barely visible to

2673-556: The arrival of the Space Age . However, when the USSR launched Sputnik 2 , containing the dog Laika , the media narrative returned to one of anti-Communism and many people sent protests to the Soviet embassy and the RSPCA. Sputnik 1 was not immediately used for Soviet propaganda. The Soviets had kept quiet about their earlier accomplishments in rocketry, fearing that it would lead to secrets being revealed and failures being exploited by

2754-451: The booster in order to increase its visibility for tracking. A small highly polished sphere, the satellite was barely visible at sixth magnitude, and thus harder to follow optically. The batteries ran out on 26 October 1957, after the satellite completed 326 orbits. The core stage of the R-7 remained in orbit for two months until 2 December 1957, while Sputnik 1 orbited for three months, until 4 January 1958, having completed 1,440 orbits of

2835-413: The booster, and a new payload fairing that made the booster almost four meters shorter than its ICBM version. Object D would later be launched as Sputnik 3 after the much lighter 'Object PS' (Sputnik 1) was launched first. The trajectory of the launch vehicle and the satellite were initially calculated using arithmometers and six-digit trigonometric tables. More complex calculations were carried out on

2916-491: The complex, heavy scientific equipment in favour of a simple radio transmitter. On 15 February 1957 the Council of Ministers of the USSR approved this simple satellite, designated 'Object PS', PS meaning "prosteishiy sputnik", or "elementary satellite". This version allowed the satellite to be tracked visually by Earth-based observers, and it could transmit tracking signals to ground-based receiving stations. The launch of two satellites, PS-1 and PS-2, with two R-7 rockets (8K71),

2997-571: The construction of the site began on 20 July by military building units. The first launch of an R-7 rocket (8K71 No.5L) occurred on 15 May 1957. A fire began in the Blok D strap-on almost immediately at liftoff, but the booster continued flying until 98 seconds after launch when the strap-on broke away and the vehicle crashed 400 km (250 mi) downrange. Three attempts to launch the second rocket (8K71 No.6) were made on 10–11 June, but an assembly defect prevented launch. The unsuccessful launch of

3078-642: The crew of Apollo 8 , Frank Borman , James Lovell and William Anders , became the first human beings to enter lunar orbit and see the far side of the Moon in person. Humans first landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The first human to walk on the lunar surface was Neil Armstrong , commander of Apollo 11 . The first space probe to land on moon South Pole of India. Chandrayaan-3 was launched aboard an LVM3-M4 rocket on 14 July 2023, at 09:05 UTC from Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, entering an Earth parking orbit with

3159-500: The dummy warhead to the target altitude and velocity, reentered the atmosphere, and broke apart at a height of 10 km (6.2 mi) after traveling 6,000 km (3,700 mi). On 27 August, the TASS issued a statement on the successful launch of a long-distance multistage ICBM. The launch of the fifth R-7 rocket (8K71 No.9), on 7 September, was also successful, but the dummy was also destroyed on atmospheric re-entry, and hence needed

3240-477: The economy, create jobs, and promote environmental sustainability, helping the field continue to grow. One of the notable interplanetary missions is Voyager 1 , the first artificial object to leave the Solar System into interstellar space on August 25, 2012. It is also the most distant artificial object from Earth. The probe passed the heliopause at 121 AU to enter interstellar space . Voyager 1

3321-481: The economy, society, and the environment. Economically, new safety features and technology have made space missions cheaper. Using reusable rockets helps companies save money because they do not need to fix or replace rockets as often. This makes space exploration more affordable and encourages more people to invest in the space industry. Socially, these new technologies have created many jobs in areas like engineering, research, and aerospace manufacturing. The growth of

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3402-415: The fan was turned on; when it fell below 20 °C (68 °F), the fan was turned off by the dual thermal switch. If the temperature exceeded 50 °C (122 °F) or fell below 0 °C (32 °F), another control thermal switch was activated, changing the duration of the radio signal pulses. Sputnik 1 was filled with dry nitrogen , pressurized to 1.3  atm (130 kPa). The satellite had

3483-635: The first observations of it in the western world were made at the school observatory in Rodewisch ( Saxony ). News reports at the time pointed out that "anyone possessing a short wave receiver can hear the new Russian earth satellite as it hurtles over this area of the globe." Directions, provided by the American Radio Relay League , were to "Tune in 20 megacycles sharply, by the time signals, given on that frequency. Then tune to slightly higher frequencies. The 'beep, beep' sound of

3564-507: The first orbit the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) transmitted: "As result of great, intense work of scientific institutes and design bureaus the first artificial Earth satellite has been built". The R-7 core stage, with a mass of 7.5 tonnes and a length of 26 metres, also reached Earth orbit. It was a first magnitude object following behind the satellite and visible at night. Deployable reflective panels were placed on

3645-603: The hydrogen bomb payload would be. The R-7 was also known by its GRAU (later GURVO, the Russian abbreviation for "Chief Directorate of the Rocket Forces") designation 8K71. At the time, the R-7 was known to NATO sources as the T-3 or M-104, and Type A. Several modifications were made to the R-7 rocket to adapt it to 'Object D', including upgrades to the main engines, the removal of a 300 kg (660 lb) radio package on

3726-628: The launch of America's secret WS-117L spy satellites, the U.S. had launched Project Vanguard as its own "civilian" satellite entry for the International Geophysical Year. Eisenhower greatly underestimated the reaction of the American public, who were shocked by the launch of Sputnik and by the televised failure of the Vanguard Test Vehicle 3 launch attempt. The sense of anxiety was inflamed by Democratic politicians and professional cold warriors, who portrayed

3807-533: The launch of Sputnik, a poll conducted and published by the University of Michigan showed that 26% of Americans surveyed thought that Russian sciences and engineering were superior to that of the United States. (A year later, however, that figure had dropped to 10% as the U.S. began launching its own satellites into space.) One consequence of the Sputnik shock was the perception of a " missile gap ". This became

3888-527: The launch site would be collected at six separate observatories and telegraphed to NII-4 . Located back in Moscow (at Bolshevo ), NII-4 was a scientific research arm of the Ministry of Defence that was dedicated to missile development. The six observatories were clustered around the launch site, with the closest situated 1 km (0.62 mi) from the launch pad. A second, nationwide observation complex

3969-667: The low specific impulse produced by the completed R-7 engines (304 seconds instead of the planned 309 to 310 seconds). Consequently, the government rescheduled the launch for April 1958. Object D would later fly as Sputnik 3 . Fearing the U.S. would launch a satellite before the USSR, OKB-1 suggested the creation and launch of a satellite in April–May 1957, before the IGY began in July 1957. The new satellite would be simple, light (100 kg or 220 lb), and easy to construct, forgoing

4050-474: The market capitalization fell from $ 3 to $ 0.3 billion in half a year, and with an insurance payment only covering a fifth of WV-4 total launch cost the company had to restructure its debts in April 2019. In May 2019, the company was selected as the provider of the power and propulsion element for the Lunar Gateway developed by NASA . On December 30, 2019, the company announced that it had entered into

4131-439: The military to education systems. The federal government began investing in science, engineering, and mathematics at all levels of education. An advanced research group was assembled for military purposes. These research groups developed weapons such as ICBMs and missile defense systems, as well as spy satellites for the U.S. Initially, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower was not surprised by Sputnik 1. He had been forewarned of

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4212-545: The mission. A fuel regulator in the booster also failed around 16 seconds into launch, which resulted in excessive RP-1 consumption for most of the powered flight and the engine thrust being 4% above nominal. Core stage cutoff was intended for T+296 seconds, but the premature propellant depletion caused thrust termination to occur one second earlier when a sensor detected overspeed of the empty RP-1 turbopump. There were 375 kg (827 lb) of LOX remaining at cutoff. At 19.9 seconds after engine cut-off, PS-1 separated from

4293-471: The naked eye. What most watchers actually saw was the much more visible 26-metre core stage of the R-7. Shortly after the launch of PS-1, Khrushchev pressed Korolev to launch another satellite to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the October Revolution , on 7 November 1957. The launch of Sputnik 1 surprised the American public, and shattered the perception created by American propaganda of

4374-417: The proving ground and preparations for the launch of PS-1 began. Compared to the military R-7 test vehicles, the mass of 8K71PS was reduced from 280 to 272 tonnes (617,000 to 600,000 lb), its length with PS-1 was 29.167 metres (95 ft 8.3 in) and the thrust at liftoff was 3.90  MN (880,000  lb f ). PS-1 was not designed to be controlled; it could only be observed. Initial data at

4455-513: The rocket. The satellite had a one-watt, 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) radio transmitting unit inside, developed by Vyacheslav I. Lappo from NII-885 , the Moscow Electronics Research Institute, that worked on two frequencies, 20.005 and 40.002 MHz. Signals on the first frequency were transmitted in 0.3 s pulses (near f = 3 Hz) (under normal temperature and pressure conditions on board), with pauses of

4536-418: The same duration filled by pulses on the second frequency. Analysis of the radio signals was used to gather information about the electron density of the ionosphere. Temperature and pressure were encoded in the duration of radio beeps. A temperature regulation system contained a fan , a dual thermal switch , and a control thermal switch. If the temperature inside the satellite exceeded 36 °C (97 °F),

4617-469: The satellite can be heard each time it rounds the globe." The first recording of Sputnik 1's signal was made by RCA engineers near Riverhead, Long Island. They then drove the tape recording into Manhattan for broadcast to the public over NBC radio. However, as Sputnik rose higher over the East Coast, its signal was picked up by W2AEE, the ham radio station of Columbia University . Students working in

4698-591: The sciences, astronomy and Earth science benefit from space technology. New technologies originating with or accelerated by space-related endeavors are often subsequently exploited in other economic activities. The first country on Earth to put any technology into space was the Soviet Union , formerly known as the "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" (USSR). The USSR sent the Sputnik 1 satellite on October 4, 1957. It weighed about 83 kg (183 lb), and

4779-457: The second stage and the satellite's transmitter was activated. These signals were detected at the IP-1 station by Junior Engineer-Lieutenant V.G. Borisov, where reception of Sputnik 1's "beep-beep-beep" tones confirmed the satellite's successful deployment. Reception lasted for two minutes, until PS-1 passed below the horizon. The Tral telemetry system on the R-7 core stage continued to transmit and

4860-479: The space industry also helps other industries, such as telecommunications and materials engineering, by creating new job opportunities. Environmentally, using reusable rockets helps reduce space debris. By reusing rockets, space agencies can produce less waste and lessen the impact of space missions on the environment. This approach supports cleaner space exploration and a more sustainable future. In summary, technological advances in space exploration positively affect

4941-402: The spent R-7 second stage at the same time as the satellite was ejected. Tests of the satellite were conducted at OKB-1 under the leadership of Oleg G. Ivanovsky . The control system of the Sputnik rocket was adjusted to an intended orbit of 223 by 1,450 km (139 by 901 mi), with an orbital period of 101.5 minutes. The trajectory had been calculated earlier by Georgi Grechko , using

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5022-418: The third R-7 rocket (8K71 No.7) took place on 12 July. An electrical short caused the vernier engines to put the missile into an uncontrolled roll which resulted in all of the strap-ons separating 33 seconds into the launch. The R-7 crashed about 7 km (4.3 mi) from the pad. The launch of the fourth rocket (8K71 No.8), on 21 August at 15:25 Moscow Time , was successful. The rocket's core boosted

5103-460: 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). Спутник-1 , romanized as Sputnik-Odin ( pronounced [ˈsputnʲɪk.ɐˈdʲin] ), means 'Satellite-One'. The Russian word for satellite, sputnik ,

5184-575: The university's FM station, WKCR , made a tape of this, and were the first to rebroadcast the Sputnik signal to the American public (or whoever could receive the FM station). The Soviet Union agreed to transmit on frequencies that worked with the United States' existing infrastructure, but later announced the lower frequencies. Asserting that the launch "did not come as a surprise", the White House refused to comment on any military aspects. On 5 October,

5265-555: The world regarding a shift in power to the Soviets. The USSR's launch of Sputnik 1 spurred the United States to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA, later DARPA ) in February 1958 to regain a technological lead. In Britain, the media and population initially reacted with a mixture of fear for the future, but also amazement about human progress. Many newspapers and magazines heralded

5346-437: Was a 585-millimetre (23.0 in) diameter sphere, assembled from two hemispheres that were hermetically sealed with O-rings and connected by 36 bolts . It had a mass of 83.6 kilograms (184 lb). The hemispheres were 2 mm thick, and were covered with a highly polished 1 mm-thick heat shield made of an aluminium – magnesium – titanium alloy , AMG6T . The satellite carried two pairs of antennas designed by

5427-528: Was approved, provided that the R-7 completed at least two successful test flights. The R-7 rocket was initially designed as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by OKB-1. The decision to build it was made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Council of Ministers of the USSR on 20 May 1954. The rocket was the most powerful in the world; it was designed with excess thrust since they were unsure how heavy

5508-426: Was because medical staff and spacecraft engineers were unsure how a human might react to weightlessness, and therefore it was decided to lock the pilot's manual controls. The first probe to impact the surface of the Moon was the Soviet probe Luna 2 , which made a hard landing on September 14, 1959. The far side of the Moon was first photographed on October 7, 1959, by the Soviet probe Luna 3 .s On December 24, 1968,

5589-559: Was bestowed with the specific proper name 'Fellow-Traveler-One', rather than being designated by the general term 'Satellite-One'. In Russian-language references, Sputnik 1 is recognized by the technical name of 'Satellite-One'. On 17 December 1954, chief Soviet rocket scientist Sergei Korolev proposed a developmental plan for an artificial satellite to the Minister of the Defense Industry, Dimitri Ustinov . Korolev forwarded

5670-471: Was coined in the 18th century by combining the prefix s- ('fellow') and putnik ('traveler'), thereby meaning 'fellow-traveler', a meaning corresponding to the Latin root satelles ('guard, attendant or companion'), which is the origin of English satellite . In English, 'Sputnik' is widely recognized as a proper name; however, this is not the case in Russian. In the Russian language, sputnik

5751-473: Was completed, however, the Soviet Union launched a second satellite, Sputnik 2, on 3 November 1957. Meanwhile, the televised failure of Vanguard TV-3 on 6 December 1957 deepened American dismay over the country's position in the Space Race . The Americans took a more aggressive stance in the emerging space race, resulting in an emphasis on science and technological research, and reforms in many areas from

5832-414: Was detected on its second orbit. The designers, engineers, and technicians who developed the rocket and satellite watched the launch from the range. After the launch they drove to the mobile radio station to listen for signals from the satellite. They waited about 90 minutes to ensure that the satellite had made one orbit and was transmitting before Korolev called Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev . On

5913-415: Was dual-listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. In May 2023, Maxar was acquired by private equity firm Advent International , in an all-cash transaction worth $ 6.4 billion. Maxar Technologies was created in 2017 from the purchase of DigitalGlobe by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), who renamed the company Maxar. The headquarters of the combined entity

5994-555: 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 . The launch was the beginning of a new era of political, military, technological, and scientific developments. The word sputnik

6075-919: Was established to track the satellite after its separation from the rocket. Called the Command-Measurement Complex, it consisted of the coordination center in NII-4 and seven distant stations situated along the line of the satellite's ground track . These tracking stations were located at Tyuratam , Sary-Shagan , Yeniseysk , Klyuchi , Yelizovo , Makat in Guryev Oblast , and Ishkup in Krasnoyarsk Krai . Stations were equipped with radar , optical instruments, and communications systems. Data from stations were transmitted by telegraphs into NII-4 where ballistics specialists calculated orbital parameters. The observatories used

6156-685: Was located and tracked by the British using the Lovell Telescope at the Jodrell Bank Observatory , the only telescope in the world able to do so by radar. Canada's Newbrook Observatory was the first facility in North America to photograph Sputnik 1. Sputnik 1 was designed to meet a set of guidelines and objectives such as: The chief constructor of Sputnik 1 at OKB-1 was Mikhail S. Khomyakov. The satellite

6237-423: Was low-key and almost dismissive. Eisenhower was even pleased that the USSR, not the U.S., would be the first to test the waters of the still-uncertain legal status of orbital satellite overflights . Eisenhower had suffered the Soviet protests and shoot-downs of Project Genetrix (Moby Dick) balloons and was concerned about the probability of a U-2 being shot down. To set a precedent for "freedom of space" before

6318-439: Was scheduled for 1957. Work on the satellite was to be divided among institutions as follows: Preliminary design work was completed in July 1956 and the scientific tasks to be carried out by the satellite were defined. These included measuring the density of the atmosphere and its ion composition, the solar wind , magnetic fields , and cosmic rays . These data would be valuable in the creation of future artificial satellites;

6399-664: Was sometimes dubbed the "Sputnik craze". The U.S. soon had a number of successful satellites, including Explorer 1, Project SCORE , and Courier 1B . However, public reaction to the Sputnik crisis spurred America to action in the Space Race, leading to the creation of both the Advanced Research Projects Agency (renamed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, in 1972), and NASA (through

6480-565: 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. It was a polished metal sphere 58 cm (23 in) in diameter with four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses. Its radio signal

6561-537: Was then established in Westminster, Colorado. The company was dual-listed on the TSX and NYSE. In Q3 2018 Maxar's revenue and adjusted profit missed estimates due to a decline in its satellite manufacturing segment oriented towards geosynchronous Earth orbit communications, which led to a plunge in the stock price. The situation was compounded in January 2019 with the loss of their relatively new WorldView-4 satellite, and

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