Sputnik : 50th Anniversary

History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds (about 83 kilograms), and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.

The Sputnik launch changed everything. As a technical achievement, Sputnik caught the world's attention and the American public off-guard, to the extent that the public feared that the Soviets' ability to launch satellites also translated into the capability to launch ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear weapons from Europe to the U.S.

Superstars of Soviet Space: Gagarin and Korolev

Despite the popular belief, products in USSR had brands and a lot of things and places were named after Sputnik

Sputnik Stereo Camera

Hotel Sputnik

Cinema Hall Sputnik