Information AboutSputnik |
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model]] .]] The Sputnik program was a series of Unmanned Space Mission s launched by the Soviet Union in the late 1950s to demonstrate the viability of Artificial Satellite s. It included Sputnik 1 , the first man-made object to orbit earth. The Russian name "Спутник" means literally "traveling companion" or "satellite". The R-7 Launch Vehicle was designed to carry Nuclear Warhead s. IMPACT The surprise launch of Sputnik 1, coupled with the spectacular failure of the United States' first two Project Vanguard launch attempts, shocked the United States , which responded with a number of early satellite launches, including Explorer I , Project SCORE , Advanced Research Projects Agency and Courier 1B . The Sputnik Crisis also led to the creation of NASA and major increases in U.S. government spending on scientific research and education. The launch of Sputnik 1 inspired writer Herb Caen to coin the term "'' Beatnik ''" in an article about the Beat Generation in the '' San Francisco Chronicle '' on April 2 , 1958 . EARLY FLIGHTS Sputnik 1 was launched on had occurred on August 21 st of that year and the success was published in Aviation Week .) Sputnik 2 was launched on November 3 , 1957 and carried the first living passenger, a Dog named Laika . The mission planners did not provide for the safe return of the Spacecraft or its Passenger , making Laika the first orbital Casualty . This mission was promptly dubbed "Muttnick" by humorists.1 The first attempt to launch Sputnik 3 , on February 3 , 1958 , failed, but the second on May 15 succeeded, and it carried a large array of instruments for Geophysical research. Its Tape Recorder failed, however, making it unable to measure the Van Allen Radiation Belt s. Sputnik 4 was launched two years later, on May 15 , 1960 . Sputnik 5 was launched on August 19 , 1960 with the dogs Belka And Strelka , 40 Mice , 2 Rat s and a variety of Plant s on board. The spacecraft returned to earth the next day and all animals were recovered safely. OTHER SPUTNIK DESIGNATIONS A variety of Venera , Vostok , Voskhod , Kosmos and other classes of Soviet spacecraft were referred to as Sputniks by American observers, although none of these were actually named "Sputnik" by the Soviet Union. Sputnik 25 , for example, was an attempted Luna probe. SPUTNIK 40 AND SPUTNIK 41 Sputnik 40, also called Sputnik PS2, Radio Sputnik 17 (RS-17) and Mini-Sputnik, was a ⅓-scale model Amateur Radio Satellite launched from the Mir Space Station on 3 November 1997 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Sputnik 1. The spacecraft body resembled Sputnik 1 and was built by students at the Polytechnic Laboratory Of Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria . The transmitter was built by students from Jules Reydellet College in Réunion , with technical support from AMSAT-France . Its batteries expired on 29 December 1997 and the VHF transmitter fell silent.234 Its international designator is 1997-058C, United States Space Command object 24958.5 Sputnik 41 (RS-18, designator 1998-62C, object 255336) was launched a year later, on 10 November 1998 . It also carried a transmitter. LIST OF SPUTNIK SATELLITES REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY
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