Quiz 60 years of the first artificial earth satellite. The first satellite of the earth. Breakthrough into space

We have long been accustomed to the fact that we live in the era of space exploration. However, watching today's huge reusable rockets and space orbital stations, many do not realize that the first launch of a spacecraft took place not so long ago - only 60 years ago.

Who launched the first artificial Earth satellite? - THE USSR. This question is of great importance, since this event gave rise to the so-called space race between two superpowers: the USA and the USSR.

What was the name of the world's first artificial satellite? - since similar devices did not exist before, Soviet scientists considered that the name “Sputnik-1” was quite suitable for this device. The code designation of the device is PS-1, which stands for “The Simplest Sputnik-1”.

Externally, the satellite had a rather simple appearance and was an aluminum sphere with a diameter of 58 cm to which two curved antennas were attached crosswise, allowing the device to distribute radio emission evenly and in all directions. Inside the sphere, made of two hemispheres fastened with 36 bolts, there were 50-kilogram silver-zinc batteries, a radio transmitter, a fan, a thermostat, pressure and temperature sensors. The total weight of the device was 83.6 kg. It is noteworthy that the radio transmitter broadcast in the range of 20 MHz and 40 MHz, that is, ordinary radio amateurs could monitor it.

History of creation

The history of the first space satellite and space flights in general begins with the first ballistic rocket - the V-2 (Vergeltungswaffe-2). The rocket was developed by the famous German designer Wernher von Braun at the end of World War II. The first test launch took place in 1942, and the combat launch in 1944; a total of 3,225 launches were carried out, mainly across Great Britain. After the war, Wernher von Braun surrendered to the US Army, and therefore headed the Weapons Design and Development Service in the United States. Back in 1946, a German scientist presented the US Department of Defense with a report “Preliminary design of an experimental spacecraft orbiting the Earth,” where he noted that within five years a rocket capable of launching such a ship into orbit could be developed. However, funding for the project was not approved.

On May 13, 1946, Joseph Stalin adopted a decree on the creation of a missile industry in the USSR. Sergei Korolev was appointed chief designer of ballistic missiles. Over the next 10 years, scientists developed intercontinental ballistic missiles R-1, R2, R-3, etc.

In 1948, rocket designer Mikhail Tikhonravov gave a report to the scientific community about composite rockets and the results of calculations, according to which the 1000-kilometer rockets being developed could reach great distances and even launch an artificial Earth satellite into orbit. However, such a statement was criticized and was not taken seriously. Tikhonravov’s department at NII-4 was disbanded due to irrelevant work, but later, through the efforts of Mikhail Klavdievich, it was reassembled in 1950. Then Mikhail Tikhonravov spoke directly about the mission to put the satellite into orbit.

Satellite model

After the creation of the R-3 ballistic missile, its capabilities were presented at the presentation, according to which the missile was capable of not only hitting targets at a distance of 3000 km, but also launching a satellite into orbit. So by 1953, scientists still managed to convince top management that the launch of an orbital satellite was possible. And the leaders of the armed forces began to understand the prospects of developing and launching an artificial Earth satellite (AES). For this reason, in 1954, a resolution was adopted to create a separate group at NII-4 with Mikhail Klavdievich, which would be engaged in satellite design and mission planning. In the same year, Tikhonravov’s group presented a program for space exploration, from launching satellites to landing on the Moon.

In 1955, a delegation of the Politburo headed by N. S. Khrushchev visited the Leningrad Metal Plant, where the construction of the two-stage R-7 rocket was completed. The delegation's impression resulted in the signing of a resolution on the creation and launch of a satellite into earth orbit in the next two years. The design of the satellite began in November 1956, and in September 1957, the “Simple Sputnik-1” was successfully tested on a vibration stand and in a thermal chamber.

Definitely answering the question “who invented Sputnik 1?” — it is impossible to answer. The development of the first Earth satellite took place under the leadership of Mikhail Tikhonravov, and the creation of the launch vehicle and launch of the satellite into orbit was under the leadership of Sergei Korolev. However, a considerable number of scientists and researchers worked on both projects.

Launch history

In February 1955, senior management approved the creation of Research Test Site No. 5 (later Baikonur), which was to be located in the Kazakhstan desert. The first ballistic missiles of the R-7 type were tested at the test site, but based on the results of five experimental launches, it became clear that the massive warhead of the ballistic missile could not withstand the temperature load and required modification, which would take about six months. For this reason, S.P. Korolev requested from N.S. Khrushchev two rockets for the experimental launch of PS-1. At the end of September 1957, the R-7 rocket arrived at Baikonur with a lightweight head and a transition under the satellite. Excess equipment was removed, as a result of which the mass of the rocket was reduced by 7 tons.

On October 2, S.P. Korolev signed an order for flight testing of the satellite and sent a notification of readiness to Moscow. And although no answers came from Moscow, Sergei Korolev decided to launch the Sputnik (R-7) launch vehicle from PS-1 to the launch position.

The reason why management demanded the launch of the satellite into orbit during this period is that from July 1, 1957 to December 31, 1958, the so-called International Geophysical Year was held. According to it, during this period, 67 countries jointly and under a single program carried out geophysical research and observations.

The launch date of the first artificial satellite was October 4, 1957. In addition, on the same day the opening of the VIII International Congress of Astronautics took place in Spain, Barcelona. The leaders of the USSR space program were not disclosed to the public due to the secrecy of the work being carried out; Academician Leonid Ivanovich Sedov reported to Congress about the sensational launch of the satellite. Therefore, it was the Soviet physicist and mathematician Sedov that the world community long considered to be the “father of Sputnik.”

Flight history

At 22:28:34 Moscow time, a rocket with a satellite was launched from the first site of NIIP No. 5 (Baikonur). After 295 seconds, the central block of the rocket and the satellite were launched into an elliptical orbit of the Earth (apogee - 947 km, perigee - 288 km). After another 20 seconds, PS-1 separated from the rocket and gave a signal. It was a repeated signal of “Beep! Beep!”, which were caught at the test site for 2 minutes, until Sputnik 1 disappeared over the horizon. On the first orbit of the device around the Earth, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) transmitted a message about the successful launch of the world's first satellite.

After receiving the PS-1 signals, detailed data began to arrive about the device, which, as it turned out, was close to not reaching the first escape velocity and not entering orbit. The reason for this was an unexpected failure of the fuel control system, which caused one of the engines to lag. Failure was a split second away.

However, PS-1 still successfully achieved an elliptical orbit, in which it moved for 92 days, while completing 1440 revolutions around the planet. The device's radio transmitters worked for the first two weeks. What caused the death of the first Earth satellite? — Having lost speed due to atmospheric friction, Sputnik 1 began to descend and completely burned up in dense layers of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that many could observe a certain brilliant object moving across the sky during that period. But without special optics, the shiny body of the satellite could not be seen, and in fact this object was the second stage of the rocket, which also rotated in orbit, along with the satellite.

Flight meaning

The first launch of an artificial Earth satellite in the USSR produced an unprecedented rise in pride in their country and a strong blow to the prestige of the United States. An excerpt from a United Press publication: “90 percent of the talk about artificial Earth satellites came from the United States. As it turned out, 100 percent of the case fell on Russia...” And despite erroneous ideas about the technical backwardness of the USSR, it was the Soviet device that became the first satellite of the Earth, and its signal could be tracked by any radio amateur. The flight of the first Earth satellite marked the beginning of the space age and launched the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Just 4 months later, on February 1, 1958, the United States launched its Explorer 1 satellite, which was assembled by the team of scientist Wernher von Braun. And although it was several times lighter than PS-1 and contained 4.5 kg of scientific equipment, it was still second and no longer had the same impact on the public.

Scientific results of the PS-1 flight

The launch of this PS-1 had several goals:

• Testing the technical ability of the device, as well as checking the calculations taken for the successful launch of the satellite;
• Ionosphere research. Before the launch of the spacecraft, radio waves sent from Earth were reflected from the ionosphere, eliminating the possibility of studying it. Now scientists have been able to begin studying the ionosphere through the interaction of radio waves emitted by a satellite from space and traveling through the atmosphere to the surface of the Earth.
• Calculation of the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere by observing the rate of deceleration of the vehicle due to friction with the atmosphere;
• Study of the influence of outer space on equipment, as well as the determination of favorable conditions for the operation of equipment in space.

Listen to the sound of the First Satellite

And although the satellite did not have any scientific equipment, monitoring its radio signal and analyzing its nature gave many useful results. Thus, a group of scientists from Sweden carried out measurements of the electronic composition of the ionosphere, relying on the Faraday effect, which states that the polarization of light changes when passing through a magnetic field. Also, a group of Soviet scientists from Moscow State University developed a technique for observing the satellite with precise determination of its coordinates. Observation of this elliptical orbit and the nature of its behavior made it possible to determine the density of the atmosphere in the region of orbital altitudes. The unexpectedly increased density of the atmosphere in these areas prompted scientists to create the theory of satellite braking, which contributed to the development of astronautics.

Video about the first satellite.

MOSCOW, October 4 – RIA Novosti. Exactly 60 years ago, the USSR opened the space era of human development by successfully launching the first artificial Earth satellite in history, PS-1 (Simple Satellite-1). It was a ball with a diameter of 58 centimeters, weighed 83.6 kilograms, and was equipped with four antennas and battery-powered transmitters.

The spacecraft successfully flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, completing 1,440 revolutions around the Earth (approximately 60 million kilometers), and its call sign “Beep! Beep!” have been received by millions of radio amateurs around the world.

Breakthrough into space

Speaking at the Space Research Institute (IKI) on Tuesday, Igor Komarov, general director of the Roscosmos state corporation, said that “60 years ago a great event took place, marking the start of a new era of humanity.”

“Our country, which was then called the Soviet Union, provided the first launch of an artificial Earth satellite. It transmitted a simple signal, but became known to the whole world. Then it was even difficult to imagine how much this engineering and scientific breakthrough would contribute to the development of society,” he said.

Komarov noted that “the 2017 International Astronautical Congress confirmed that the future of space research lies in joint research.”

“The results we get should work for the benefit of all humanity,” added the general director of Roscosmos.

In turn, the new president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Alexander Sergeev, also speaking at the IKI, noted that “the event that happened 60 years ago is certainly great both on the scale of humanity and on the scale of our country.”

“It seems to me that if we look at one of the most important results of this event, we will understand how significant it is... What happened 60 years ago ensured that we live in peace, without major wars,” he said.

According to him, “what was done under the military program to ensure the country’s defense capability turned out to be so important that it largely ensured the security of the majority of the inhabitants of our planet.”

“I assure you that the new leadership of the Russian Academy of Sciences will attach paramount importance to space research,” Sergeev noted.

Little-known details of creation

According to the recollections of Viktor Petrov, a veteran of the rocket and space industry, leading designer of automatic interplanetary stations, the employees involved in the creation of PS-1 addressed the first spacecraft as “you.”

“Oleg Genrikhovich Ivanovsky, deputy lead designer for the first satellite, demanded that all workers, production and supervisory, address, as he himself repeatedly expressed, all elements of the simplest satellite only as “you,” says Petrov’s memoirs provided to RIA Novosti Press - service of the rocket and space corporation "Energia".

At the same time, the process of developing the first satellite did not fit into the stereotype of “punishable initiative.”

“The head of the design and layout group, Ilya Vladimirovich Lavrov, is a former intelligence officer with deep knowledge of design work, always paid attention to the personalities of the people working with him, and unconditionally supported the initiative of the employees,” Petrov noted in his memoirs.

He explains that Lavrov “gave the opportunity to develop his abilities, entrusting responsible work even to beginners and, if necessary, tactfully helping, and in such a way that the performer had the impression that he himself had effectively solved all the problems.”

According to the recollections of one of the two assemblers of the first elements of PS-1, Yuri Silaev, the work was carried out in a special secret room with soundproof walls and hermetically sealed windows.

“We prepared the first mock-up of the satellite - a ball with an untreated surface. Chief designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev stroked it and said: “It’s too bad, I don’t like it like this.” After all, it will be hot for him there!” Then it was proposed to cover the satellite with a mirror,” notes Silaev in his memoirs.

“We made a shell of aluminum for the ball, perfectly polished to such an extent that if you take it with gloves, stains remain. The chief designer really liked this solution, and he gave the command to assemble an already operational satellite,” says the assembler.

His memoirs also describe in detail the testing phase of the first artificial Earth satellite in history.

“We came to the testing phase, it was necessary to simulate the “space” conditions in which the “simplest” would be. It was also necessary to carry out thermal tests. That is, for a satellite fully “charged” with working equipment, it was necessary to simultaneously create two poles - “plus” and “minus,” says Silaev’s memoirs.

“We went, of course, experimentally. We took a large saucepan, poured alcohol, threw dry ice into it, and when it dissolved, the temperature reached -60°. We immersed half of the satellite there, and “fried” the second with 20 incandescent lamps to +50°. Every 15-20 minutes the satellite was sharply turned over. The metal hissed and crackled, as if it was about to burst!" - is told in his memoirs.

He notes that the PS-1 tests lasted two days, with short breaks to check the operation of chemical power supplies and sensors.

“Almost simultaneously, tests were carried out on a vibration stand, since when the rocket took off, the satellite had to be subjected to severe vibration... The most important and difficult stage was the creation of a deep vacuum: there is practically no pressure in space. A pressure chamber was urgently needed. They found it in one of the scientific institutes, and during testing, we were able to create the necessary pressure in it,” recalls Silaev.

“New methods were tested during leak testing. The team of technologists and welders did an excellent job: out of ten shells tested, only one was found to have a spot leak in the weld. By the beginning of September, all tests were completed, the products were prepared for transportation to the landfill,” - concludes Silaev.

Cosmic succession

It is curious that the spherical layout of the first satellite in history was proposed by Mikhail Ryazansky, the grandfather of the Russian cosmonaut Sergei Ryazansky, who is now working on the International Space Station. In August, Sergei Ryazansky, together with Fedor Yurchikhin, went into outer space and personally launched several nanosatellites. The astronaut called the launch of these vehicles into orbit “a kind of celebration of the 60th anniversary of the launch of the first satellite.”

Future plans

"Space is beyond politics." Academician about the plans of the Russian Federation and the United States for a lunar stationThe Russian Federation and the United States are planning to create a new space station, Deep Space Gateway, in lunar orbit. Academician of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after. K.E. Tsiolkovsky Alexander Zheleznyakov on Sputnik radio noted that cooperation continues, no matter what.

As announced at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, the world's leading space agencies plan to begin construction of a new Deep Space Gateway station in lunar orbit in 2024. It is set to become the most ambitious new international space project to date, extending the human presence beyond Earth's orbit for the first time.

The technical appearance of the station will be determined in the coming year, the configuration of the Deep Space Gateway is currently being discussed, working groups have already been created in both Russia and the USA. China and India, and subsequently other BRICS countries, are expected to take part in the creation of the station.

Russia plans to develop and use a new super-heavy launch vehicle to launch the lunar station structures into orbit.

In addition, Russia could create one to three modules for the Deep Space Gateway and develop standards for a universal docking mechanism for spacecraft from different countries.

As the head of RSC Energia, Vladimir Solntsev, clarified to RIA Novosti, the corporation expects to become the lead enterprise in designing the Russian segment of the Deep Space Gateway.

In addition, according to him, the new Federal Space Program (FSP) can be adjusted to take into account the creation of a super-heavy launch vehicle project to deliver station elements to lunar orbit; such proposals are currently being prepared jointly with Roscosmos. The preliminary design of the “superheavy” is planned to be developed within two years, from 2018 to 2019. Cooperation between enterprises will be involved in the development.

Meanwhile

The preliminary design of a new Russian cargo spacecraft with increased payload capacity passed all examinations and was accepted by the Roscosmos state corporation, Solntsev told RIA Novosti.

“We have completed the preliminary design. In accordance with the established procedure, it passed all the examinations with positive conclusions and was accepted by the state customer - the Roscosmos state corporation. The decision on further work to complete the development and manufacture of the ship is also made by the state corporation,” he noted.

The issue of creating a new cargo ship became relevant after the appearance on the market of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle with an increased payload capacity and a nose fairing of increased dimensions.

Exactly 60 years ago, humanity entered a new era. It came literally a few moments after the first “squeak” signals came through communication channels from near-Earth orbit. This was the brainchild of the minds of outstanding Soviet scientists, the brainchild of virtually all, no matter how pompous it may sound, humanity. For obvious reasons, the squeak created a real sensation in the world. The Western, as they say now, partners of the Soviet Union were especially not happy about the signals.

Exactly 60 years ago – on October 4, 1957 – the Sputnik launch vehicle, created on the basis of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile, launched the first artificial Earth satellite into the intended orbit. The launch was carried out from the 5th training ground of the USSR Ministry of Defense "Tyura-Tam". Today this test site is known throughout the world as the Baikonur Cosmodrome - one of those places that are directly related to space exploration.
The era of astronautics, which started 6 decades ago, revealed our country as a pioneer in space exploration, one of the leading space powers, and now largely determines the strategy of national security and defense. It’s not for nothing that on October 4, Russia annually celebrates the Day of the Space Forces - troops that literally look beyond the cosmic horizons to ensure the inviolability of the country’s borders.

Every day, specialists from the Space Control Center of the Space Forces, part of the structure of the Russian Aerospace Forces, carry out large-scale monitoring of space objects and potential threats. The number of measurements carried out and processed by CCCP military personnel within 24 hours is about 60 thousand! This work makes it possible to informationally support the main catalog of space objects, as well as control spacecraft launches through the Ministry of Defense.

In the second half of August, the Center’s specialists accepted for escort a spacecraft that found itself in orbit after being launched by a Proton-M launch vehicle. By and large, this is a significant event, since for many months Proton flights were virtually frozen due to problems identified in the second and third stage engines. Specialists from the Voronezh Mechanical Plant, as reported by Roscosmos, promised to eliminate the identified defects in all rocket engines produced recently by the end of the year.

By the way, in August of this year, another significant event took place, which is directly related not only to astronautics, but also specifically to the launch of the 1st artificial Earth satellite into orbit. Astronomers decided to name a section of such a celestial body as Pluto, which for some time now has ceased to be considered a planet in the classical sense of the term, in honor of PS-1 (“The simplest satellite-1”). The International Astronomical Union (IAU) immortalized the first Soviet satellite in the name of the Pluto plain.

Returning to the activities of the space forces and their work in maintaining the main catalog of space objects, it is necessary to touch upon the contents of this object in more detail. The catalog represents a gigantic database with coordinate and non-coordinate information about space and sub-space objects of artificial nature, registered at altitudes from 120 thousand meters to 50 thousand km.

The main catalog is intended for long-term storage of orbital measuring, optical, radio engineering and special information about space objects of artificial origin. At the same time, special equipment of the Russian Space Control Center makes it possible to determine and track approximately 1.5 thousand different indicators and parameters of an object: from its angular velocity to mass, size, type and place in the classifier list.

The Space Forces today are actively working to adopt the latest types of weapons and special equipment. In particular, we are talking about the new generation Voronezh radar stations, which have impressive characteristics in terms of object tracking accuracy and monitoring space coverage. By 2020, it is planned to put into operation the 11th (last of the planned) Voronezh radar, capable of detecting both space and aerodynamic objects, including cruise and ballistic missiles. We are talking about the Voronezh-SM facility, which will appear on the territory of Sevastopol.

Space forces today use the apparatus of the Unified Space System, which is the basis of the space echelon of the missile attack warning system. It allows you to significantly reduce the detection time of ballistic missile launches, and in this matter literally every fraction of a second matters.

On this significant day, Military Review congratulates all military personnel of the Russian Space Forces on the holiday. On this same day, one cannot help but honor the memory of all those outstanding Soviet scientists and engineers who stood at the origins of the Russian cosmonautics, which announced itself with satellite signals on October 4, 1957.

On October 4, 1957 - exactly 60 years ago - the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched in the Soviet Union.

This event marked the beginning of mankind's exploration of outer space, a qualitative leap in the development of science, industry and military technology.
The official name of this first spacecraft is “PS-1” (“Simple Sputnik-1”). The launch was made from the 5th research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the name Baikonur Cosmodrome, on a Sputnik launch vehicle, created on the basis of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile.
A large group of scientists led by S. Korolev, as well as Soviet workers and military personnel, worked on the creation and launch of an artificial Earth satellite, among whom our fellow countryman, a native of the village of Ostretsovo, Rodnikovsky district, Ivanovo region, a colonel general, played a prominent role in the post-war years - Deputy Minister of Medium Engineering of the USSR V. Ryabikov (pictured).

In 1946, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a resolution on the deployment of large-scale work on the development of rocket science. The creation of long-range rockets was necessitated by the need to deliver nuclear warheads. Intercontinental ballistic missiles became the means of launching the first artificial Earth satellites.
All this work was coordinated by the country's top leadership, headed by I. Stalin and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers L. Beria.
From 1951 to 1957, ballistic missile launches were carried out, strictly speaking, not yet into space, but into the upper layers of the earth’s atmosphere, up to the conventional border with outer space.
Then, in August 1957, the first launch of a ballistic (space) rocket was made from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, rising to an altitude of more than 200 km and then reaching a given area - a test site in Kamchatka.
And finally, two months later - on October 4, 1957, at 22:28 Moscow time, the USSR launched the world's first artificial Earth satellite, which separated from the launch vehicle and entered low-Earth orbit.
The satellite's aluminum alloy body had a diameter of only 58 cm and a total mass of 83.6 kg. It separated from the rocket at a distance of 947 km from the earth's surface, and continued its further flight on its own.
“PS-1” was developed as a device with two radio beacons, the frequency ranges of which (20 and 40 MHz) were chosen so that the satellite signal could be received by radio amateurs of all countries using the simplest equipment.
314.5 seconds after launch, the satellite gave its voice. “Beep! Beep! - that was his call sign. They were caught at the test site for 2 minutes, then the satellite went beyond the horizon. People at the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouted “Hurray!”, shook the designers and military personnel.
And even on the first orbit of his flight, a TASS message was heard: “As a result of a lot of hard work by research institutes and design bureaus in the USSR, the world’s first artificial Earth satellite was created.”
The satellite flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, completing 1,440 revolutions around the Earth (about 60 million km), and its radio transmitters operated for two weeks after launch. Due to friction with the upper layers of the atmosphere, the satellite lost speed, entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and burned up due to contact with air.
The launch of the satellite was of the greatest international significance, clearly demonstrating the advantages of the Soviet economic and socio-political system, the level of scientific and technological progress achieved just 12 years after the devastating Great Patriotic War.
His flight was seen by the whole world, the signal emitted by him could be heard by any radio amateur anywhere in the world. This went against the idea of ​​the technical backwardness of the Soviet Union. The launch of the first satellite dealt a strong blow to the prestige of the United States. United Press reported: “Ninety percent of the talk about artificial satellites has come from the United States. As it turned out, 100 percent of the case fell on Russia...”
M. Smetanin

Classroom teacher: Poplavskaya E.F.teacher of biology and chemistry, specialist of the highest category.

Target:

- systematize and expand students’ understanding of the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite;

Expand students’ understanding of space exploration;

introduce the artificial satellites of the Earth and their role in the life of modern man;

To develop a sense of patriotism through studying the great achievements of the Russian people; respect for people who dedicated their lives to space exploration.

Structure and Progress:

Content:

Organizing time.

Communicate the topic and purpose.

The class teacher announces the topic, its relevance, poses questions to be resolved in the process of collaboration .

The theme of our class hour is “60 years since the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite.”And I would like to start it with the words of the founder of practical cosmonautics in our country, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev: “The time will come when a spaceship with people will leave the Earth and go on a journey. A reliable bridge from earth to space has already been built by the launch of Soviet artificial satellites, and the road to the stars is open!”

Main part. Working on the topic of the class hour.

Since ancient times, the mysterious world of planets and stars has attracted the attention of people. Observing the stars through a telescope, people never stopped dreaming of traveling to them. This dream came true in the 20th century.

In the minds of scientists for many years
There was a cherished dream:
Take off with rockets
Into interplanetary space

In 1955, S.P. Korolev, M.V. Keldysh, M.K. Tikhonravov came to the government with a proposal to launch an artificial Earth satellite (AES) into space using a rocket. The government supported this initiative. In August 1956, OKB-1 left NII-88 and became an independent organization, the chief designer and director of which was appointed S.P. Korolev.

The space age in human history began on October 4, 1957, when the first artificial Earth satellite was launched into orbit. The code designation of the satellite is PS-1 (Simple Sputnik – 1).

It was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Sputnik launch vehicle, created on the basis of the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile.

The whole world doesn't know anything yet

The usual “Latest news”.

And he flies through the constellations.

The earth will wake up with his name.

The satellite went beyond the horizon . People at the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouted “Hurray!”, shook the designers and military personnel. And even on the first orbit, a TASS message was heard: “...As a result of a lot of hard work by research institutes and design bureaus, the world’s first artificial Earth satellite was created...”. The Russian word “sputnik” has entered many languages ​​of the world. “Sputnik” cocktails appeared in bars in Western Europe. Hairdressers have come up with new model hairstyles.

The flight of the first artificial Earth satellite was seen by the whole world.

The signal sent by the satellite was caught by any radio amateur anywhere in the world.

During the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, the following tasks were set:

Check the correctness of the calculations and technical solutions on which the launch was based;

Determine the density data of the upper layers of the atmosphere from the descent braking of the spacecraft;

Investigate the ionospheric propagation of radio waves emitted by satellite transmitters;

Conduct an analysis of the conditions for adequate operation of the equipment of other aircraft.

The launch of the first Earth satellite made it possible to obtain not only important technical data necessary for the further development of astronautics, but also valuable scientific information .

Newspapers published articles dedicated to the first artificial satellite of the Earth.

Postage stamps were issued to commemorate the launch of Sputnik.

Monuments were erected to commemorate the launch of satellites.

In 1958, a monument to the creators of the first Soviet artificial Earth satellite was erected near the Rizhskaya metro station in Moscow. In 1964, in honor of the launch of Sputnik 1, a 99-meter monument to the Conquerors of Space was built near the VDNKh metro station in the form of a rocket taking off, leaving a trail of fire behind it.

Modern artificial earth satellites perform many tasks and, depending on them, are divided into several types:

– astronomical satellites are used to study space objects and phenomena; in essence, these are mobile observatories outside the Earth;

– reconnaissance apparatuses supply information to the military departments of their countries about the location and movement of strategic objects in the studied territory;

– communication satellites are needed to transmit radio signals between very distant points on the surface that are beyond the line of sight;

– Navigation satellites provide the GPS global positioning system, which is very important for determining the location of vehicles;

– meteorological satellites are indispensable for studying the weather and making weather forecasts;

– Remote sensing satellites, using radar and photography of the Earth's surface, conduct exploration of mineral deposits, record the location of natural resources, and monitor the state of the ecological system;

– biosatellites conduct research on living organisms in space conditions;

– experimental satellites are launched to test new developments.

Now the number of artificial objects in earth's orbit exceeds 15.5 thousand .

I know you on Military Space Forces Day

Any person would ask for one thing:

Take care of yourself and our entire globe,

Keep trouble away from the Earth!

Space Forces Day is a holiday of those who devoted themselves to working on the creation of spacecraft of defense significance, who carried out and are carrying out their launches.

Summary of the lesson.

Sources: History of the development of domestic automatic spacecraft // Scientific editor I. V. Barmin. – M.: Capital Encyclopedia, 2015. – 752 p.