“What came to be known as the Space Race between the United States and the USSR began in 1957 when the Soviets launched the first satellite, Sputnik.”
President John F. Kennedy
Special Message to Congress
on Urgent National Needs
(May 25, 1961)
October 4, 2026 — On October 4 1957, the Soviet Union launched SPUTNIK-1 into an elliptical low Earth orbit. It was a 58 cm (23 in) diameter polished metal sphere, with four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses.
Its radio signal was easily detectable even by amateurs, and the 65° inclination and duration of its orbit made its flight path cover virtually the entire inhabited Earth. This surprise success precipitated the American Sputnik crisis and triggered the Space Race, a key part of the Cold War. The launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY
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