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The beeping was a coded message from the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. Launched by what was then the Soviet Union. Sputnik orbited Earth every 96 minutes.
Space Race
Sputnik did more than just transmit information. It set off an intense competition between the United States and the Soviet Union that came to be known as the "space race." The rival nations had been rushing to be the first to "conquer" space. The United States was still months away from launching a satellite.
The Soviets' success took Americans by surprise. Many people began to question a long-held belief-that U.S. technology was the best in the world. Some feared that if the Soviets could launch a satellite into space, they could easily land missiles on U.S. soil. Not everyone was frightened by the possibilities, however. Roger Launius, of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, told Weekly Reader that many people were "excited about it." He said from Sputnik, came the "possibility of flying in space."
The first creature to experience space flight, however, wasn't a person. It was a dog! Less than a month after the launch of Sputnik 1, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2 with a dog named Laika on board. Journalists at the time nicknamed the mission "Muttnik."
The United States struggled to catch up. In December 1957, the first U.S. attempt to launch a satellite failed. Nicknamed "Dudnik," the satellite rose 3 feet in the air before falling to the ground. A month later, the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, entered Earth's orbit.
The Soviets outpaced Americans again in 1961, when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. A few months later, Alan B. Shepard became the first American in space. The United States finally trumped the Soviets' in July 1969, when American astronauts became the first people to land on the moon.
Now What?
On the 50th anniversary of when Sputnik 1 sped into space, many people wonder what happened to the era's promise and excitement. Weren't we supposed to be living on the moon by now or visiting Mars? Those goals "turned out to be a whole lot harder than anyone thought," said Launius. Space exploration is expensive, complicated, and sometimes dangerous.
Through unmanned missions to Venus, Mars, and Saturn, scientists have learned a great deal about the universe. And 2004 saw the launch of SpaceShipOne, the first human spaceflight paid for by a private company instead of a government. And today, countries are working together instead of competing on International Space Station, a huge space laboratory being created by 16 nations.
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"5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... liftoff!" Put together this jigsaw to see a space shuttle launch. Back to Top
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