Sputnik Low-poly 3D model

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The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, into an elliptical low Earth orbit on October 4, 1957. Measuring 23 inches in diameter, this polished metal sphere had four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses detectable by radio amateurs worldwide. With a 65° inclination, its orbit covered the entire inhabited Earth for three weeks until its batteries died and two more months thereafter. This successful launch sparked the American Sputnik crisis, igniting the Space Race—a key aspect of the Cold War—and paving the way for significant political, military, technological, and scientific advancements.