16 Facts About Sputnik

1.

The data was useful even after the satellite's separation from the second stage of the rocket; Sputnik's location was calculated from the data on the second stage's location which followed Sputnik at a known distance.

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2.

Sputnik rocket was launched on 4 October 1957 at 19:28:34 UTC from Site No 1 at NIIP-5.

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3.

However, as Sputnik rose higher over the East Coast, its signal was picked up by W2AEE, the ham radio station of Columbia University.

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4.

Success of Sputnik 1 seemed to have changed minds around the world regarding a shift in power to the Soviets.

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5.

USSR's launch of Sputnik 1 spurred the United States to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency in February 1958 to regain a technological lead.

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6.

However, when the USSR launched Sputnik 2, containing the dog Laika, the media narrative returned to one of anti-Communism and many people sent protests to the Soviet embassy and the RSPCA.

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7.

Sputnik had been forewarned of the R-7's capabilities by information derived from U-2 spy plane overflight photos, as well as signals and telemetry intercepts.

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8.

However, public reaction to the Sputnik crisis spurred America to action in the Space Race, leading to the creation of both the Advanced Research Projects Agency, and NASA, as well as increased U S government spending on scientific research and education through the National Defense Education Act.

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9.

Sputnik contributed directly to a new emphasis on science and technology in American schools.

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10.

One irony of the Sputnik event was the initially low-key response of the Soviet Union.

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11.

Harrison Storms, the North American designer who was responsible for the X-15 rocket plane, and went on to head the effort to design the Apollo command and service module and Saturn V launch vehicle's second stage, was moved by the launch of Sputnik to think of space as being the next step for America.

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12.

Launch of Sputnik 1 led to the resurgence of the suffix -nik in the English language.

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13.

Launch of Sputnik planted the seeds for the development of modern satellite navigation.

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14.

Two more Sputnik backups are said to be in the personal collections of American entrepreneurs Richard Garriott and Jay S Walker.

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15.

Three one-third scale student-built replicas of Sputnik 1 were deployed from the Mir space station between 1997 and 1999.

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16.

Sputnik 41 was launched a year later, and Sputnik 99 was deployed in February 1999.

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