October 4 is the Day of the Beginning space age humanity, proclaimed by the International Astronautical Federation in September 1967. On this day, October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched in the USSR.

Scientists Mstislav Keldysh, Mikhail Tikhonravov, Nikolai Lidorenko, Vladimir Lapko, Boris Chekunov and many others worked on its creation, headed by the founder of practical astronautics Sergei Korolev.

Being engaged in the creation of long-range ballistic missiles and especially the R-7 intercontinental missile, Sergei Korolev constantly returned to the idea of ​​​​practical space exploration. On May 27, 1954, he turned to the Minister of Defense Industry of the USSR Dmitry Ustinov with a proposal to develop an artificial Earth satellite (AES). In June 1955, a memorandum was prepared on the organization of work on space objects, and in August of the same year, data on the parameters of a spacecraft for a flight to the Moon.

The resolution on work on satellites was adopted on January 30, 1956. It was originally intended to be more complex and heavy.

However, the work was delayed, and it was decided to develop the simplest apparatus, so as not to give way to the United States involved in a similar project.

In January 1957, Korolev sent a memorandum to the Council of Ministers of the USSR. In it, he said that in April-June 1957, two rockets in the satellite version could be prepared "and launched immediately after the first successful launches of an intercontinental missile." The first Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile successfully launched on August 21, 1957.

The satellite, which became the first artificial celestial body, was launched into orbit on October 4, 1957 by an R-7 launch vehicle from the 5th Research Test Site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the open name Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The launched spacecraft PS-1 (the simplest satellite-1) was a ball with a diameter of 58 centimeters, weighed 83.6 kilograms, was equipped with four pin antennas 2.4 and 2.9 meters long for transmitting signals from battery-powered transmitters. 295 seconds after the launch of the PS-1 and the central block of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were brought to elliptical orbit height at apogee 947 kilometers and perigee 288 kilometers. 315 seconds after launch artificial satellite The earth separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and immediately the whole world heard its call signs.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The first artificial earth satellite, which was successfully launched on October 4, 1957, marked the beginning of a new era - the era of the conquest of outer space.

This colossal technical breakthrough is the merit of a team of Soviet scientists and designers headed by the recognized founder of cosmonautics S.P. Korolev.

General information about Sputnik 1

"Sputnik - 1" was originally called "PS - 1". This name stands for "The Simplest Satellite - 1". It is a spherical object made of high-strength magnesium alloy.

The diameter of the sphere is 58 cm. It consists of two parts connected by bolts. Four VHF and HF antennas are mounted on its surface. The presence of antennas allows you to track its location during the flight.

The upper part of the satellite has a hemispherical screen. It plays the role of a heat-insulating coating. Batteries, a radio transmitter and all the necessary instruments and sensors are placed inside the satellite.

History of creation

Attempts to create an artificial satellite were made long before the PS - 1 flew. The leading German designer Wernher von Braun worked on the creation of an unmanned orbital object.

As an employee of the American strategic weapons service, he presented his experimental model of the spacecraft to the military. But none of his attempts were successful.

In the USSR, teams of enthusiastic engineers selflessly worked on this idea. They were by no means assembled in design laboratories and not in spacious hangars and workshops. Ideas space flights originated in locksmith shops and basements.

1946 was the year of the creation of the rocket industry of the USSR, headed by the brilliant Soviet designer S.P. Korolev. Despite the fact that the country has not yet recovered from the terrible consequences of the Second World War, Soviet scientists and engineers managed to create a powerful technical base.

A few years later, the first successful launch of the R-1 ballistic missile was carried out. Later, its analogue "R-2" was launched, which was distinguished great performance range and flight speed.

Model of the first space satellite

After successful tests of the new R-3 intercontinental rocket, Soviet scientists managed to convince the government of the advisability of creating the first space satellite of the earth.

In 1955, this project was approved by the top leadership of the government, which was the beginning of hard work on the creation of the world's first orbital object.

It is difficult to say with complete certainty who invented and created the AES. In many ways, this merit of the entire team of designers and engineers, headed by S. P. Korolev and M. K. Tikhonravov.

Two years later, the satellite was ready. His weight was about 84 kg. The shape of the satellite was not chosen by chance. It is the sphere that is the ideal shape that has the maximum volume with the minimum surface.

In addition, this object was supposed to become a symbol of the space age and be an example of an ideal spacecraft, primarily from the point of view of its appearance.

Launch of the first artificial Earth satellite

Every day space became more and more accessible. On October 4, 1957, in the Kazakh steppe, one of the greatest events in the history of mankind took place - an intercontinental rocket with a spherical object on board was launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

The R-7 launch vehicle soared into the sky with a piercing roar. A few minutes later, the spacecraft was launched into orbit, the altitude of which was about 950 km.

Some time later, the first man-made object set off on its legendary free flight. Long-awaited signals began to be received on the ground.

The satellite flew over the earth for 92 days, making 1400 revolutions. After that, the satellite was destined to die. Losing speed, he began to approach the surface of the earth and simply burned out, overcoming the resistance of the atmosphere.

After the first orbit around the Earth, Yu. B. Levitan, the main announcer of the country of the Soviets, announced the successful launch of the first satellite.

Thanks to the special power settings of the radio transmitter, the signal from the satellite could be easily received by both specialists and ordinary radio amateurs. Millions of people around the world clung to radio speakers to hear the "voice from space".

For each revolution around the Earth, the satellite spent an average of 95 - 96 minutes. It is noteworthy that the satellite as such was not visible to the naked eye, although after its launch a moving dot could be observed in the sky.

In fact, this flying star is nothing more than the last stage of a carrier rocket, which continued to move in orbit for some time until it burned up in the atmosphere.

Its useful to note: despite the fact that all instruments and control devices of the apparatus were created, as they say, from scratch, none of them failed during the flight.

When creating electronic power supplies were used Newest technologies those years, which had no analogues in any country for many years.

Scientific results of the Sputnik-1 flight

It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this legendary event. In addition to strengthening the belief in space flights and raised the prestige of the country, he made an invaluable contribution to the development and strengthening of the scientific potential of that time.

Analysis of the PS-1 flight made it possible to start studying the ionosphere, the properties of which have not been fully studied. In particular, scientists were interested in the propagation of radio waves in its environment. In addition, the parameters of the atmosphere density and its influence on the orbiting object were measured.

The analysis of the collected data has become a good help in the design and creation of new units and mechanisms for future spacecraft.

Some of the more interesting facts:

The era of space exploration remembers many significant events, each of which was given at the cost of incredible efforts and losses. One way or another, the thorny path to the stars was laid exactly then - October 4, 1957.

It was this date that served as the starting point for the development of domestic cosmonautics as an independent industry and determined its future fate.

On October 4, 1957, the world's first artificial Earth satellite was launched into near-Earth orbit, which opened the space era in the history of mankind.

The satellite, which became the first artificial celestial body, was launched into orbit by an R-7 carrier rocket from the 5th Research Test Site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the open name Baikonur Cosmodrome.

spacecraft PS-1(the simplest satellite-1) was a ball with a diameter of 58 centimeters, weighed 83.6 kilograms, was equipped with four pin antennas 2.4 and 2.9 meters long for transmitting signals from battery-operated transmitters. 295 seconds after the launch, the PS-1 and the central block of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched into an elliptical orbit at an apogee of 947 km and a perigee of 288 km. At 315 seconds after the launch, the satellite separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and immediately the whole world heard its call signs.

“... On October 4, 1957, the first satellite was successfully launched in the USSR. According to preliminary data, the launch vehicle informed the satellite of the necessary orbital speed about 8000 meters per second. At present, the satellite describes elliptical trajectories around the Earth and its flight can be observed in the rays of the rising and setting sun using the simplest optical instruments (binoculars, telescopes, etc.).

According to the calculations, which are now being refined by direct observations, the satellite will move at altitudes up to 900 kilometers above the Earth's surface; the time of one complete revolution of the satellite will be 1 hour 35 minutes, the angle of inclination of the orbit to the plane of the equator is 65 °. Over the area of ​​the city of Moscow on October 5, 1957, the satellite will pass twice - at 1 hour 46 minutes. night and at 6 o'clock. 42 min. morning Moscow time. Messages about the subsequent movement of the first artificial satellite, launched in the USSR on October 4, will be transmitted regularly by broadcast radio stations.

The satellite has the shape of a ball with a diameter of 58 cm and a weight of 83.6 kg. Two radio transmitters are installed on it, continuously emitting radio signals with a frequency of 20.005 and 40.002 megahertz (wavelength about 15 and 7.5 meters, respectively). The power of the transmitters ensures reliable reception of radio signals by a wide range of radio amateurs. The signals have the form of telegraph parcels with a duration of about 0.3 seconds. with a pause of the same duration. A signal of one frequency is sent during a pause of a signal of another frequency ... ".

Scientists M.V. Keldysh, M.K. Tihonravov, N.S. Lidorenko, V.I. Lapko, B.S. Chekunov and many others.

The PS-1 satellite flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, making 1440 revolutions around the Earth (about 60 million kilometers), and its radio transmitters worked for two weeks after launch.

The launch of an artificial satellite of the Earth was of great importance for the knowledge of the properties of outer space and the study of the Earth as our planet. solar system. The analysis of the received signals from the satellite gave scientists the opportunity to study the upper layers of the ionosphere, which was not possible before. In addition, the most useful information for further launches on the operating conditions of the equipment was obtained, all calculations were checked, and the density was determined. upper layers atmosphere on the deceleration of the satellite.

The launch of the first artificial satellite of the Earth received a huge world response. The whole world learned about his flight. The entire world press was talking about this event.

In September 1967, the International Astronautical Federation proclaimed October 4 as the Day of the Beginning of the Human Space Age.

Press service of Roscosmos

The first artificial Earth satellite was created and launched into space in the USSR. It happened on October 4, 1957. On this day, radio stations around the world interrupted their transmissions to announce the most important news. Russian word"satellite" has entered into all languages ​​of the world.
It was a fantastic breakthrough of mankind in the exploration of outer space, and it laid the foundation for the great Space Age of all mankind. And the palm rightfully belongs to the USSR.

Here is a picture taken in the lobby of the Institute space research Russian Academy Sciences.

In the foreground is the First Sputnik, the highest technological achievement of its time.
On the second - employees of IKI - outstanding scientists, creators of the first satellite, atomic weapons, space science and technology.

If it is not readable in the picture, here are their names:

• Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich - theoretical physicist, repeatedly awarded Stalin Prize 1st class for special work related to atomic bomb. Three times Hero of Socialist Labor.

October 4, 1957 forever entered the history of mankind as the beginning of a new era - space. It was on this day that the first artificial satellite (AES) - Sputnik-1 - was sent to surf space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It weighed relatively little - 83.6 kilograms, but at that time delivering even such a "crumb" into orbit was a very serious task.

I think that in Russia there is no person who would not know who was the first man in space.

With the first satellite, the situation is more complicated. Many do not even know what country he belonged to.

This is how it started new era in science and the legendary space race between the USSR and the USA.

The era of rocket science begins at the beginning of the last century, with theory. It was then that the outstanding scientist Tsiolkovsky, in his article on the jet engine, actually predicted the appearance of satellites. Despite the fact that the professor had many students who continued to popularize his ideas, many considered him to be just a dreamer.

Then new times came, the country had a lot of things to do and problems, except for rocket science. But two decades later, Friedrich Zander and the now famous aviator engineer Korolenko founded a group to study jet propulsion. After that, there were several events that led to the fact that 30 years later the first satellite was launched into space, and after some time, a man:

• 1933 - launch of the first rocket with a jet engine;
• 1943 - the invention of the German V-2 rockets;
• 1947–1954 - rocket launches P1-P7.

The apparatus itself was ready in mid-May at 7 pm. His device was quite simple, there were 2 beacons on it, which made it possible to measure the trajectory of his flight. Interestingly, after sending a notice that the satellite was ready for flight, Korolev did not receive any answer from Moscow and independently decided to put the satellite on the starting position.

The preparation and launch of the satellite was led by S.P. Korolev. The satellite made 1440 complete revolutions in 92 days, after which it burned down, entering the dense layers of the atmosphere. The radio transmitters worked for two weeks after the launch.

The first satellite was given the name PS-1. When the project of the first-born space was born, there were disputes among engineers and developers: what should it be in shape? After listening to the arguments of all parties, Sergei Pavlovich categorically stated: "A ball and only a ball!" - and, without waiting for questions, he explained his plan: “The ball, its shape, the conditions of its habitat from the point of view of aerodynamics have been thoroughly studied.

Known for its pros and cons. And this is of no small importance.

Understand - FIRST! When humanity sees an artificial satellite, it should evoke good feelings in it. What could be more expressive than a ball? It is close to natural celestial bodies our solar system. People will perceive the satellite as a kind of image, as a symbol of the space age!

I consider it necessary to install such transmitters on board so that radio amateurs on all continents can receive their call signs. The orbital flight of the satellite is calculated in such a way that, using the simplest optical instruments, everyone from the Earth can see the flight of the Soviet satellite.

On the morning of October 3, 1957, scientists, designers, members of the State Commission gathered at the assembly and test building - everyone who was associated with the launch. They were waiting for the two-stage rocket and space system Sputnik to be taken to the launch pad.

The metal gates opened. The locomotive, as it were, pushed out a rocket placed on a special platform. Sergei Pavlovich, setting up a new tradition, took off his hat. His example of high respect for the work that created this miracle of technology was followed by others.

Korolev took a few steps behind the rocket, stopped and, according to the old Russian custom, said: “Well, with God!”.

Before the start of the space age, there were only a few hours left. What awaited Korolev and his associates? Will October 4 be the victorious day that he dreamed of for many years? The sky, studded with stars that night, seemed to become closer to the Earth. And everyone who was present at the launch pad involuntarily looked at Korolev. What was he thinking, looking into the dark sky, shimmering with myriads of loved ones and distant stars? Perhaps he remembered the words of Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky: “The first great step of mankind is to fly out of the atmosphere and become a satellite of the Earth”?

The last meeting of the State Commission before the start. There was a little more than an hour left before the start of the experiment. The floor was given to S.P. Korolev, everyone was waiting for a detailed report, but the chief designer was brief: “The launch vehicle and satellite passed the launch tests. I propose to launch the rocket and space complex at the appointed time, today at 22:28.”

And here is the long-awaited launch!

"THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL EARTH SATELLITE, A SOVIET SPACE VEHICLE LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT."

The launch was carried out from the 5th Tyura-Tam research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense on a Sputnik launch vehicle, created on the basis of the R7 intercontinental ballistic missile.

On Friday, October 4, at 22:28:34 Moscow time (19:28:34 GMT), a successful launch was made.

295 seconds after the launch of the PS-1 and the central block (stage II) of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched

elliptical orbit with a height of 947 km at apogee and 288 km at perigee. At the same time, the apogee was in southern hemisphere and perigee is in the Northern Hemisphere. 314.5 seconds after the launch, the protective cone was dropped and Sputnik separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and he gave his vote. "Beep! Beep! - so sounded his call signs.

They were caught at the training ground for 2 minutes, then the Sputnik went beyond the horizon. People at the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouting "Hurrah!", rocked the designers and the military.

And on the first orbit, a TASS message sounded:

"As a result of the great hard work of research institutes and design bureaus, the world's first artificial Earth satellite has been created."

Only after receiving the first signals of the Sputnik did the results of telemetry data processing come in and it turned out that only a fraction of a second separated from failure. Before the start, the engine in the G block was “delayed”, and the time to enter the regime is tightly controlled, and if it is exceeded, the start is automatically canceled.

The block went into mode less than a second before the control time. At the 16th second of the flight, the tank emptying system (SES) failed, and due to the increased consumption of kerosene, the central engine turned off 1 second ahead of the estimated time. According to the memoirs of B. E. Chertok: “A little more - and the first cosmic speed could not be achieved.

But the winners are not judged! Great things have happened!"

The orbital inclination of Sputnik-1 was about 65 degrees, which meant that Sputnik-1 flew approximately between the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle, due to the rotation of the Earth during each revolution, shifting by 24 degrees in longitude 37.

The orbital period of Sputnik-1 was initially 96.2 minutes, then it gradually decreased due to the decrease in orbit, for example, after 22 days it became 53 seconds shorter.

History of creation

The flight of the first satellite was preceded by a long work of scientists and designers, in which scientists played a significant role.

Here are their names:

1. Valentin Semenovich Etkin - sounding of the Earth's surface from space by remote radiophysical methods.
2. Pavel Efimovich Elyasberg - during the launch of the first Artificial Earth Satellite, he supervised the work on determining the orbits and predicting the satellite's motion based on the results of measurements.
3. Yan Lvovich Ziman - Ph.D. thesis, defended at MIIGAiK, was devoted to the selection of orbits for satellites.
4. Georgy Ivanovich Petrov - together with S.P. Korolev and M.V. Keldysh, who stood at the origins of astronautics.
5. Iosif Samuilovich Shklovsky - founder of the school of modern astrophysics.
6. Georgiy Stepanovich Narimanov - programs and methods of navigation and ballistic support in controlling the flights of artificial earth satellites.
7. Konstantin Iosifovich Gringauz, the first artificial satellite of the Earth, launched in 1957, carried on board a radio transmitter created by a scientific and technical group led by K. I. Gringauz.
8. Yuri Ilyich Galperin - magnetospheric research.
9. Semyon Samoilovich Moiseev - plasma and hydrodynamics.
10. Vasily Ivanovich Moroz - Physics of planets and small bodies of the solar system.

satellite device

The satellite body consisted of two power hemispherical shells with a diameter of 58.0 cm made of aluminum-magnesium alloy AMg-6 2 mm thick with docking frames interconnected by 36 M8 × 2.5 studs. Before launch, the satellite was filled with dry nitrogen gas at a pressure of 1.3 atmospheres. The tightness of the joint was ensured by a gasket made of vacuum rubber. The upper half-shell had a smaller radius and was covered with a hemispherical outer screen 1 mm thick to provide thermal insulation.

The shell surfaces were polished and processed to give them special optical properties. On the upper half-shell, two corner vibrator antennas were located crosswise, facing back; each consisted of two arms-pins 2.4 m long (VHF antenna) and 2.9 m each (HF antenna), the angle between the arms in a pair was 70 °; the shoulders were bred to the required angle with a spring
mechanism after separation from the launch vehicle.

Such an antenna provided radiation close to uniform in all directions, which was required for stable radio reception due to the fact that the satellite was not oriented. The design of the antennas was proposed by G. T. Markov (MPEI). On the front half-shell there were four sockets for mounting antennas with pressure seal fittings and a filling valve flange. On the rear half-shell there was an interlocking heel contact, which turned on the autonomous on-board power supply after the separation of the satellite from the launch vehicle, as well as the flange of the test system connector.

Scheme of the orbit of the first satellite of the Earth. /From the newspaper "Soviet Aviation"/. 1957

Inside the sealed case were placed:

• block of electrochemical sources (silver-zinc accumulators);
• radio transmitting device;
• a fan that is switched on by a thermal relay at temperatures above +30°С and switched off when the temperature drops to +20…23°С;
• thermal relay and air duct of the thermal control system;
• switching device of onboard electroautomatics; temperature and pressure sensors;
• onboard cable network. Weight - 83.6 kg.

Flight parameters

• The flight began on October 4, 1957 at 19:28:34 GMT.
• The end of the flight - January 4, 1958.
• The mass of the device is 83.6 kg.
• The maximum diameter is 0.58 m.
• Orbital inclination - 65.1°.
• The circulation period is 96.2 minutes.
• Perigee - 228 km.
• Apogee - 947 km.
• Vitkov - 1440.

Memory

In honor of the beginning of the space age of mankind in 1964, a 99-meter obelisk "To the Conquerors of Space" was opened in Moscow on Mira Avenue.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik-1, on October 4, 2007, a monument to the First Artificial Earth Satellite was unveiled in the city of Korolev on Cosmonauts Avenue.

An ice plateau on Pluto was named after Sputnik 1 in 2017.

Picking up speed, the rocket confidently went up. Everyone who was involved in the launch of the satellite gathered at the launch pad. The nervous excitement did not subside. Everyone was waiting for the satellite to circle the Earth and appear above the spaceport. “There is a signal,” the voice of the operator rang out over the speakerphone.

At the same second, the sonorous, confident voice of the companion poured out of the speaker over the steppe. Everyone applauded in unison. Someone shouted "Hurrah!", The victory cry was picked up by the rest. Strong handshakes, hugs. An atmosphere of happiness reigned ... Korolev looked around: Ryabinin, Keldysh, Glushko, Kuznetsov, Nesterenko, Bushuev, Pilyugin, Ryazansky, Tikhonravov. Everyone is here, everything is nearby - "a mighty bunch in science and technology", adherents of the ideas of Tsiolkovsky.

It seemed that the general rejoicing of those gathered at that moment on the launch pad could not be appeased. But Korolev got up on the impromptu podium. Silence reigned. He did not hide his joy: his eyes shone, his face, usually stern, shone.

“Today, what the best sons of mankind dreamed of, and among them our famous scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, has come true. He brilliantly predicted that mankind would not remain forever on Earth. The satellite is the first confirmation of his prophecy. The space storm has begun. We can be proud that our Motherland started it. To all - a big Russian thank you!

Here are reviews from the foreign press.

The Italian scientist Beniamino Segre, learning about the satellite, said: "As a person and as a scientist, I am proud of the triumph of the human mind, emphasizing the high level of socialist science."

Review of the New York Times: “The success of the USSR first of all shows that this is the greatest feat Soviet science and technology. Such a feat could only be accomplished by a country with first-class conditions in a very wide field of science and technology.

The statement of the German rocket scientist Herman Oberth is curious: “Only a country with a huge scientific and technical potential could successfully solve such a difficult task as launching the first satellite of the Earth. It was also necessary to have a considerable number of specialists. And them Soviet Union It has. I admire the talent of Soviet scientists.”

The most profound assessment of what happened was given by a physicist, laureate Nobel Prize Frederic Joliot-Curie: "This is a great victory man, which is a turning point in the history of civilization. Man is no longer chained to his planet."

In all languages ​​of the world on this day it sounded: “cosmos”, “satellite”, “USSR”, “Russian scientists”.

In 1958 S.P. Korolev makes a report "On the program of exploration of the Moon", supervises the launch of a geophysical rocket with research equipment and two dogs in the descender, participates in organizing the flight of the third artificial Earth satellite - the first scientific station. And a lot more other scientific work was done under his direction.

And finally, the triumph of science - April 12, 1961. Sergei Pavlovich Korolev - leader of the historic human space flight. This day became an event in the history of mankind: a man for the first time defeated the earth's gravity and rushed into space... Then real courage and courage were required to get into the "space ball", as the ship "Vostok" was sometimes called, and, without thinking about one's own fate, fly away into the boundless starry space.

The day before, Korolev addressed the members of the State Commission: “Dear comrades! Not gone and four years since the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite, and we are already ready for the first manned flight into space. There is a group of cosmonauts here, each of them is ready to make a flight. It was decided that Yuri Gagarin would fly first. Others will follow him in the near future. Next in line we have new flights that will be interesting for science and for the benefit of mankind.”

Korolev's Martian project remained unfinished. New ones will come, those who will continue this project and lead their ships along Milky Way to distant planets, to distant worlds...

On my own behalf, I can add that the glory of the Fatherland is brought and will be brought by the heroes of science, who imprinted Knowledge with their lives.

Above us are the same, as of old, heaven,
And the streams pour their blessings to us in the same way,
And miracles are happening today
And in our day there are prophets...

(V.G. Benediktov)