TechnologyCentral Asia

Sputnik and the space race

Oct 9, 1957

An eighty-three-kilo beeping sphere changes world politics

In depth

Sputnik prompted the creation of NASA and of ARPA, which later funded the internet. The same rocket technology carried both satellites and nuclear weapons, which is why the launch was read as a threat. Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961, and Valentina Tereshkova the first woman in 1963 — twenty years before the United States flew a woman.

For children

The Soviet Union launched the world's first satellite in 1957. It did nothing but beep, but it passed over the United States every ninety minutes. The shock led the Americans to invest enormously in research and education.

Connects to

The Cold WarMar 15, 1947 – Dec 24, 1991
The Moon landingJul 20, 1969
The internet's first messageOct 29, 1969
Einstein's miracle yearSep 13, 1905

Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org