Fifty years ago today, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the world’s first artificial satellite. That launch on Oct. 4, 1957 marked the start of the Space Age and the U.S.-Soviet space race.
Sputnik was the size of a basketball and only weighed 183 pounds, but it took the American people by surprise and jolted the nation into action. By 1958, NASA was formed, and a decade later, the first Americans walked on the moon.
To celebrate the start of the Space Age, NASA has created a great interactive website with video footage, 3D models of Sputnik and the U.S.’s Explorer I, and interesting photos.
Click here to visit NASA’s 50th Anniversary of the Space Age website.
ONLY weighed 183 pounds? That may not be a lot for a satellite, but that’s still heavy! 😯 🙄 How come it only weghed that much and was only the size of a basketball?
Cool, I can’t belive we landed on the moon all because of something the size of a basketball!
the size of a basketball and it weighed 183 pounds!!!!???? 😮
COOL 8)
Well, questioner, the weight includes the rods/fins and think of all the electronics inside of it! I could easily see the weight being 183 lb.
yo_shi’s got a good point.
It’s amazing! Actually, although the soviets made to be the first in a lot of things in space, I feel that America did the best thing-landing on the moon.
I agree with starscout!