The Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on October 4, 1957, making it the first successful artificial satellite and marking the start of ...

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden gave the order to shoot down a balloon, termed a “weather balloon” by Chinese officials. Off the South Carolina coast, two F-22 fighter jets from Langley Air ...

A Soviet technician works on Sputnik 1 before its launch in 1957. In October 1957, amateur radio operators monitored the first signal from a spacefaring civilization — and it was us. Sputnik 1, the ...

There may actually have been three Sputnik moments. The Soviet Union's Oct. 4, 1957, launch of the first-ever artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, created quite a stir, to be sure. It did kick off the ...

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - In the final months of 1957, United States Senator Lyndon B. Johnson told the American public that space travel was “just over the horizon.” “Space ships are only a few years ...

The Sputnik 8K71PS rocket streaks across the sky over Montreal on its way to deliver Sputnik 1 into orbit. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology track Sputnik 1 from a mobile van.

The launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, sent the U.S. into a frenzied effort to grab a toehold in space. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by ...