Sputnik Missions
By: Aki
What were the Sputnik Missions?
The sputnik missions were the start of the space age. Sputnik 1 was the first satellite sent into space and Sputnik 2 was the first space craft with a living organism in it.
Sputnik 1
Sputnik 1 was the first satellite placed into orbit around the earth. It was launched from Kazakhstan which was the former Soviet union. The satellite was a 58 cm diameter sphere that carried 4 antennas. It circled the earth every 98 minutes. Russia worked with London which started the G-2 program. Sputnik allowed the first meteorite detection and was able to spot surfaces on the earth and send data back to mission control centers. Unfortunately, the on board batteries failed and Sputnik 1 burned up on re-entry.
Sputnik 2
Sputnik 2 was the second satellite to go into space and the first to contain a passenger which was a dog. It was a 4 meter high shaped cone with radio transmitters and a heat monitor. Sputnik 2 traveled at 18,000 mph in space. When the on board life systems failed, Sputnik 2 plummeted down to earth and burned up on re-entry.
R-7 Modified
The R-7 rocket was modified from the original since Sputnik 2 was heavier and contained a dog. It had many upgrades. It got rid of the warhead top and had less on board batteries making it lighter. Also, it had cables connecting it to Sputnik 2 throughout the launch.
Laika
Laika was the dog that was sent out into space with Sputnik 2. It was trained a lot before the launch. It was put into a cabin the size of a washing machine. It was sent into space with the scientists knowing that it would die. There is still a debate going on about when Laika died. It was either 4-6 hours after launch because of fear and stress or 4 days after launch because the cabin overheated.
Sputnik Missions Overview
The Sputnik missions were the start of the space age. The Sputniks caused panic and questioning throughout the U.S. The most famous question was, "Why couldn't we beat the Russians"? Though the Russians were ahead, the Sputniks inspired the U.S. to create NASA. Now NASA and Russia are a great space team.
LAIKA, FIRST IN SPACE