Sputnik

Sputnik was the first satellite to orbit the earth. It was launched into space on October 4 1957. Sputnik was in a series of satellites known as the Sputnik Program. Sputnik was very helpful in space. It helped identify the upper atmospheric layers density. It also gave data on a radio signal in the ionosphere. It was also the first to detect meteoroids.

Sputnik traveled at 29,000 km an hour. It took 96.2 minutes to complete an orbit of the earth. The signals it gave continued for twenty two days, and then the batteries died. In totall, Sputnick travelled sixty million kilometers, spending three months in space.