In the Monday, October 4, 2021, all of humanity celebrates the 64th anniversary of the space age. In 1957, the first artificial satellite was launched into space created in the Soviet Union. This event has been a huge breakthrough in science and mankind stepped into the road space. From that day counts world space!
Create the first spacecraft launched in OKB-1 (now – Rocket and Space Corporation “Energia” SP Korolev, a part of the state corporation “Roscosmos”) in November 1956. The satellite was designed as a very simple device, so called – spacecraft PS-1 (the simplest satellite). It was a 58 cm diameter sphere, weighing 83.6 kg, and was equipped with four pin antennas for transmitting signals from transmitters operating batteries.
On the creation of the first artificial satellite of the Earth, led by the founder of practical cosmonautics Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, working scientists Keldysh, MK Tikhonravov, NS Lidorenko, GY Maksimov, VI Lapko, BS Chekunov, AV Bukhtiyarov and many others.
The launch was carried out October 4, 1957 at 22 hours 28 minutes 34 seconds Moscow time from the 5th Research landfill USSR Ministry of Defense, “Tura-Tam” – on the launch vehicle “Sputnik” (now the Baikonur Cosmodrome) ( R-7 № 8K71PS). After 295 seconds after the start of the first satellite and the central rocket unit are displayed on the elliptical orbit of 947 km at apogee altitude, perigee of 288 km. At 314.5 seconds after launch there was a separation of the satellite, and he gave his vote. “Beep! Beep!” – so sounded his call sign. On the range of their catch for 2 minutes, then satellite “gone” beyond the horizon.
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The satellite flew 92 days until January 4, 1958, having made 1440 revolutions around the planet, flying about 60 million km, and its radio transmitters worked for two weeks after the start.
The main challenges faced by the satellite were:
- Check the calculations and fundamental technical solutions adopted for the start;
- ionospheric research passage of radio waves emitted by the satellite transmitters;
- the experimental determination of the density of the upper atmosphere by the inhibition of the satellite;
- study the working conditions of the equipment in the space environment.
The launch of an artificial Earth satellite was of great importance to the knowledge of the properties of space and the study of the Earth as a planet in our solar system. Analysis of acquired signals from the satellite gave scientists to study the upper layers of the ionosphere, which have not been possible. Furthermore, there were obtained useful for further launches information about operating conditions of the apparatus, all calculations checked and determined density of the upper atmosphere by the inhibition of the satellite.