Day of the beginning of the space age of mankind. Who invented the first artificial Earth satellite (8 photos) The first satellite October 4, 1957

October 4 marks the Day of the beginning of the space age of mankind, proclaimed by the International Federation of Astronautics in September 1967. On this day, October 4, 1957, the first artificial earth satellite in the world 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 cosmonautics, 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 memo was prepared on the organization of work on space objects, and in August of the same year - data on the parameters of the spacecraft for a flight to the Moon.

The decree on work on satellites was adopted on January 30, 1956. Initially, it was supposed to be more difficult and difficult.

However, the work was delayed, and it was decided to develop the most simple apparatus so as not to concede the primacy to the United States engaged in a similar project.

In January 1957, Korolev sent a memo to the USSR Council of Ministers. In it, he said that in April-June 1957, two missiles in a 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 the R-7 carrier rocket from the 5th Research Test Site of the USSR Ministry of Defense, which later received the open name of the Baikonur cosmodrome.

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, PS-1 and the central block of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched into an elliptical orbit with an apogee height of 947 kilometers and a perigee of 288 kilometers. At 315 seconds after the launch, the artificial Earth satellite separated from the second stage of the launch vehicle, and the whole world immediately heard its call signs.

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

At the beginning of the 20th century, the minds of people were captured by aviation. In 1908, the founder of theoretical cosmonautics published an article "Exploration of world spaces by jet devices" in the "Bulletin of Aeronautics" magazine. This and his other works anticipated the emergence of liquid-propellant rockets, artificial earth satellites and orbital stations.

The creation of the satellite was preceded by many years of hard work of research institutes and design bureaus.

Before the Great patriotic war in the laboratories of the USSR, solid-propellant missile-projectiles and accelerators for aircraft, the first domestic liquid engines were developed. In 1933, the first in the USSR rocket with a liquid-propellant rocket engine GIRD-09 was launched. Also, ballistic and cruise missiles for various purposes, solid-propellant and liquid engines were developed and tested.

Scientists and inventors who have devoted years to creating jet-powered rockets the ultimate goal their work saw space exploration.

The designer, associate, said back in the 1930s: "Without exception, all work in the field of rocketry ultimately leads to space flight."

After the end of the war, Soviet inventors, led by Korolev, gained access to German captured equipment, in particular to the V-2, a rocket with a flight range of up to 320 km, which became the first object to make a suborbital space flight.

On its basis, a number of Soviet missiles were subsequently created and adopted under the leadership of Korolev. In 1954, the development of the R-7 rocket began, with a range of up to 9500 km. The Seven became the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile to successfully pass tests and deliver a warhead to an intercontinental range.

“The history of the creation of the First Satellite is the history of a rocket. The missile technology of the Soviet Union and the United States had a German origin ",

- noted the scientist-designer Boris Chertok.

September 25, 1955 at the jubilee session of the Moscow Higher Technical School. Bauman, dedicated to his 125th birthday, Korolev, speaking with a report, said: “Our tasks are to ensure that Soviet missiles fly higher and earlier than it will be done anywhere else. Our tasks are to Soviet man made a flight on a rocket ... The idea that the first artificial Earth satellite was Soviet was created by Soviet people. "

Only a ball!

Korolev proposed "Seven" as a candidate for launching an artificial Earth satellite into space. This initiative found support in the USSR. In April 1956, at the suggestion of Korolyov, she convened an All-Union Conference on the Study of the Upper Atmosphere. On it, Korolev read a report "Investigation of the upper atmosphere using long-range missiles."

“The modern development of technology is such that we can expect in the near future the creation of an artificial satellite of the Earth, perhaps a satellite just at relatively low altitudes, and then a permanent satellite,

- he said. - The real challenge is to develop a rocket flight to the moon and back from the moon. This problem is most easily solved when starting from the satellite, but it is also solved when starting from the Earth. "

Initially, the Government decree ordered the creation of a satellite, the tasks of which included measuring the ionic composition of space, corpuscular radiation of the Sun, magnetic fields, cosmic rays, the thermal regime of the satellite, its deceleration in the upper layers of the atmosphere, the duration of its existence in orbit, the accuracy of determining the coordinates and parameters of the orbit. The mass of the satellite was supposed to be 1000-1400 kg, and the equipment for research should add another 200-300 kg to this. The satellite was planned to be launched into orbit in 1957-1958.

The Korolev Design Bureau has developed several versions of a laboratory satellite weighing up to 1300 kg. However, it soon became apparent that, due to the difficulties in manufacturing reliable scientific equipment, it would not be possible to complete the satellite in time. Then Korolev suggested that instead of a complex laboratory, put into space the simplest satellite - otherwise the USSR risked missing out on the primacy of the launch. The proposal was approved.

There was a debate about what the first satellite of the Earth should have a shape. "A ball and only a ball!" - Korolyov insisted.

By September 1957, the satellite had already passed the final tests on a shaker and in a heat chamber.

The satellite, modestly named PS-1 ("The Simplest Satellite-1"), ended up in the shape of a sphere 58 cm in diameter and weighing 83.6 kg. This form made it possible to make the most of its internal space. The sealed case was made of aluminum alloys, inside was radio equipment and silver-zinc batteries, designed for 2-3 weeks. Before launch, the satellite was filled with nitrogen gas.

The satellite was equipped with two radio transmitters with a power of 1 W, emitting signals at a wavelength of 15 and 7.5 m.On the outer surface there were four rod antennas 2.4-2.9 m long.The signal duration was 0.3 seconds, reception was possible at a distance of up to 10 thousand km.

Meanwhile, at the Tyura-Tam test site, the future Baikonur cosmodrome, test launches of the Seven were carried out.

In September, a rocket intended to launch a satellite arrived at the test site. It was seven tons lighter than the standard ones - the designers replaced the warhead with a transition to the satellite, abandoned radio control equipment, and simplified the automatic engine shutdown.

On October 2, Korolev signed an order for flight tests of PS-1 and sent a notice of readiness to Moscow, but received no response. Then he independently made the decision to put a rocket with a satellite to the launch position.

Winners are not judged

On October 4, 1957, at 22:28 Moscow time, mankind entered a new space era. From the test site, the launch vehicle rushed into the night sky, for the first time developing the first space velocity and launching the first artificial Earth satellite into orbit.

The satellite signal was received by radio amateurs all over the world.

Even at the first orbit, the message was heard: "As a result of a lot of hard work of research institutes and design bureaus, the world's first artificial satellite of the Earth has been created."

“After the first enthusiasm, when the signals“ BIP-BIP-BIP, ”which became immediately known to all mankind, were received at the test site, and, finally, the telemetry was processed, it turned out that the rocket was launched“ on the eyebrows, ”Chertok recalled. - The engine of the side block "G" entered the mode with a delay, that is, less than a second before the control time. If it had been a little longer, the circuit would have automatically "reset" the setting and the start would have been canceled. Moreover, at the 16th second of the flight, the tank emptying control system failed. This led to an increased consumption of kerosene and the engine of the central block was turned off a second earlier than the calculated value. There were other issues as well. If only a little more and the first space velocity might not have been reached. But the winners are judged! A great thing has happened! "

The orbital period of the satellite around the Earth was about 96 minutes. He stayed in earth orbit until January 4, 1958, completing 1440 orbits.

In addition to checking the decisions made for the launch and studying the operating conditions of the equipment, the launch goals also included ionospheric studies of the transmission of radio waves emitted by the satellite transmitters and the experimental determination of the density of the upper atmosphere by decelerating the satellite. The collected data were of high scientific value, in particular, the results of measuring the density of the high layers of the atmosphere made it possible to create a theory of satellite deceleration.

“The world was literally overwhelmed! Sputnik has changed the political balance of power. The US Secretary of Defense said: "Victory in the war with the USSR is no longer achievable." Replacing the thermonuclear hydrogen bomb As a small companion, we have won a huge political and social victory, ”Chertok said.

At the recent International Astronautics Congress in Adelaide, Professor Robert Thomas, Advisor to the Government of the State of South Australia on environment, told the Gazeta.Ru correspondent about his childhood impressions of the flight of the first satellite.

“In 1957 I was 7 years old. We lived in the suburbs of Adelaide and that night with friends lay on our backs in the yard of my house. We knew about its passage, because by that time the newspapers were already writing about it.

I was amazed by what I saw, the satellite was fantastic for us, it was an incredible event for us, especially at that age.

Then I was still too young to be interested in science, but the satellite opened my eyes to space, stars and the universe. I started to observe objects moving in the sky.

My father was an engineer, and we were both carried away by a companion, from him I inherited a craving for the study of the world around us. The second impression for me was the flight in 1961, when I was 12 years old, and I also remember this event. We said, “Wow! It's incredible, man, Russian in space. Then we witnessed the Apollo missions and the landing of a man on the moon. And now I believe that cooperation in space is one of the better ways establishing relations between countries ”.

By the way, the launch of the satellite coincided with the opening of the International Astronautics Congress, which took place in 1957 in Barcelona. It was there that Academician Leonid announced the launch of the satellite into orbit. Since the names of the leaders of the Soviet space program were classified, it was Sedov who became the "father of Sputnik" in the eyes of the world community.

On November 3, 1957, Sputnik-2 was launched, on board of which was the first living creature put into space, the dog Laika.

Alas, Laika died due to an error in calculating the satellite area and the lack of a thermal control system - the temperature in the cabin rose to 40 ° C, and the dog died from overheating.

In parallel with the USSR, the United States was also engaged in the development of a satellite. Vanguard TV3 was launched on December 6, 1957, but after two seconds the rocket lost traction due to the explosion of the fuel tanks. The satellite was damaged and could not be used further. In the press, he was mockingly nicknamed "flopnik", "kaputnik" and "upsnik" - by analogy with the word "satellite", which, after the launch of PS-1, quickly entered the languages ​​of the world.

Today, there are more than three thousand satellites in Earth's orbit, most of which, however, no longer work. More than 2/3 of them belong to Russia and the USA.

We have long been accustomed to living in the era of space exploration. However, watching today the huge reusable rockets and space orbital stations, many do not realize that the first launch of the spacecraft took place not so long ago - just 60 years ago.

Who launched the first artificial Earth satellite? - THE USSR. This question has great importance, since this event gave rise to the so-called space race between two superpowers: the USA and the USSR.

What was the name of the world's first artificial satellite of the Earth? - since such devices did not exist before, Soviet scientists considered that the name "Sputnik-1" is quite suitable for this device. The device's code designation is PS-1, which stands for "Simplest Sputnik-1".

Outwardly, the satellite had a rather uncomplicated appearance and was an aluminum sphere with a diameter of 58 cm to which two curved antennas were attached crosswise, allowing the device to spread radio emission evenly and in all directions. Inside the sphere, made of two hemispheres fastened by 36 bolts, there were 50-kilogram silver-zinc batteries, a radio transmitter, a fan, a thermostat, pressure and temperature sensors. The total weight of the device was 83.6 kg. It is noteworthy that the radio transmitter broadcast in the range of 20 MHz and 40 MHz, that is, ordinary radio amateurs could also follow it.

History of creation

The history of the first space satellite and space flights generally starts with the first ballistic missile, the V-2 (Vergeltungswaffe-2). The missile was developed by the famous German designer Werner von Braun at the end of World War II. The first test launch took place in 1942, and the combat one took place in 1944; a total of 3225 launches were carried out mainly in the UK. After the war, Wernher von Braun surrendered to the US Army, in connection with which he headed the Arms Design and Development Service in the United States. Back in 1946, a German scientist presented to the US Department of Defense a report "Preliminary design of an experimental spacecraft orbiting the Earth", where he noted that a rocket capable of launching such a ship into orbit could be developed within five years. However, funding for the project was not approved.

On May 13, 1946, Joseph Stalin adopted a decree on the creation of the missile industry in the USSR. Sergei Korolev was appointed chief designer of ballistic missiles. For the next 10 years, scientists have developed intercontinental ballistic missiles R-1, P2, R-3, etc.

In 1948, the rocket designer Mikhail Tikhonravov made a report for the scientific community on composite rockets and the results of calculations, according to which the 1000-kilometer-long rockets under development can reach long distances and even put an artificial Earth satellite into orbit. However, such a statement was criticized and was not taken seriously. Tikhonravov's department at NII-4 was disbanded due to irrelevant work, but later, thanks to the efforts of Mikhail Klavdievich, it was reassembled in 1950. Then Mikhail Tikhonravov already spoke directly about the mission to launch the satellite into orbit.

Satellite model

After the creation of the R-3 ballistic missile, its capabilities were presented at the presentation, according to which the rocket was capable not only of hitting targets at a distance of 3000 km, but also to put a satellite into orbit. So by 1953, scientists still managed to convince the top management that the launch of an orbiting satellite is possible. And the leaders of the armed forces had an understanding of the prospects for the development and launch of an artificial earth satellite (AES). For this reason, in 1954, a resolution was adopted to create a separate group at NII-4 with Mikhail Klavdievich, which would be engaged in satellite design and mission planning. In the same year, Tikhonravov's group presented a program for space exploration, from launching an artificial satellite to landing on the moon.

In 1955, a Politburo delegation headed by NS Khrushchev visited the Leningrad Metal Plant, where the construction of a two-stage R-7 rocket was completed. The delegation's impression resulted in the signing of a decree on the creation and launch of a satellite into Earth orbit in the next two years. The design of the satellite began in November 1956, and in September 1957 the "Simplest Sputnik-1" was successfully tested on a vibration stand and in a heat chamber.

Unambiguously the question "who invented Sputnik-1?" - it is impossible to answer. The development of the first Earth satellite took place under the leadership of Mikhail Tikhonravov, and the creation of the launch vehicle and the launch of the satellite into orbit - under the leadership of Sergei Korolev. However, a considerable number of scientists and researchers worked on both projects.

Launch history

In February 1955, the top management approved the creation of the Research Proving Ground No. 5 (later Baikonur), which was to be located in the Kazakhstan desert. The first ballistic missiles of the R-7 type were tested at the test site, but according to the results of five test launches, it became clear that the massive warhead of the ballistic missile could not withstand the temperature load and required improvement, which would take about six months. For this reason, S.P.Korolev requested from NS Khrushchev two rockets for the experimental launch of PS-1. At the end of September 1957, the R-7 rocket arrived at Baikonur with a lightweight head part and a transition under the satellite. Excess equipment was removed, as a result of which the mass of the rocket was reduced by 7 tons.

On October 2, S.P. Korolev signed an order on flight tests of the satellite and sent a notice of readiness to Moscow. And although no answers came from Moscow, Sergei Korolev decided to withdraw the Sputnik (R-7) launch vehicle from PS-1 to the launch position.

The reason why the leadership demanded that the satellite be put into orbit during this period is that the so-called International Geophysical Year was held from July 1, 1957 to December 31, 1958. According to him, during the specified period, 67 countries jointly and under a single program carried out geophysical research and observations.

The launch date of the first artificial satellite is October 4, 1957. In addition, on the same day, the opening of the VIII International Astronautical Congress took place in Spain, Barcelona. The leaders of the USSR space program were not disclosed to the public due to the secrecy of the work carried out; Academician Leonid Ivanovich Sedov reported to the Congress about the sensational launch of the satellite. Therefore, the world community has long considered the Soviet physicist and mathematician Sedov the “father of Sputnik”.

Flight history

At 22:28:34 Moscow time, a rocket with a satellite was launched from the first site of NIIP No. 5 (Baikonur). After 295 seconds, the central block of the rocket and the satellite were launched into an elliptical orbit of the Earth (apogee - 947 km, perigee - 288 km). After another 20 seconds, PS-1 separated from the rocket and gave a signal. These were repetitive beep! Beep! ”, Which were caught at the range for 2 minutes, until“ Sputnik-1 ”disappeared over the horizon. On the first orbit of the spacecraft around the Earth, the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS) broadcast a message about the successful launch of the world's first satellite.

After receiving signals from PS-1, detailed data began to arrive about the vehicle, which, as it turned out, was close to not reaching the first space velocity and not going into orbit. The reason for this was an unexpected failure of the fuel supply control system, due to which one of the engines was delayed. A split second separated from failure.

However, PS-1 nevertheless successfully reached an elliptical orbit, along which it moved for 92 days, while completing 1440 revolutions around the planet. The device's radio transmitters worked for the first two weeks. What caused the death of the first satellite of the Earth? - Having lost speed against atmospheric friction, Sputnik-1 began to decline and completely burned up in the dense layers of the atmosphere. It is noteworthy that many could observe a certain shiny object moving across the sky at that time. But without special optics, the satellite's shiny body could not be seen, and in fact this object was the second stage of the rocket, which also rotated in orbit, along with the satellite.

Flight value

The first launch of an artificial Earth satellite in the USSR produced an unprecedented rise in pride in their country and a strong blow to the prestige of the United States. An excerpt from the United Press publication: “90 percent of the talk about artificial earth satellites was in the United States. As it turned out, 100 percent of the case fell on Russia ... ”. And despite the erroneous ideas about the technical backwardness of the USSR, it was the Soviet apparatus that became the first satellite of the Earth, moreover, its signal could be monitored by any radio amateur. The flight of the first Earth satellite marked the beginning of the space age and launched the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Just 4 months later, on February 1, 1958, the United States launched its Explorer-1 satellite, which was assembled by a team of scientist Wernher von Braun. And although it was several times lighter than PS-1 and contained 4.5 kg of scientific equipment, it was still the second and no longer influenced the public so much.

Scientific results of the PS-1 flight

The launch of this PS-1 pursued several goals:

• Testing the technical ability of the device, as well as checking the calculations adopted for the successful launch of the satellite;
• Study of the ionosphere. Before the launch of the spacecraft, radio waves sent from Earth were reflected from the ionosphere, making it impossible to study it. Now scientists have been able to begin exploring the ionosphere through the interaction of radio waves emitted by a satellite from space and traveling through the atmosphere to the Earth's surface.
• Calculation of the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere by observing the rate of deceleration of the vehicle due to friction against the atmosphere;
• Study of the influence of outer space on equipment, as well as determination of favorable conditions for the operation of equipment in space.

Listen to the sound of the First satellite

And although there was no scientific equipment on the satellite, tracking its radio signal and analyzing its nature gave many useful results. So a group of scientists from Sweden carried out measurements of the electronic composition of the ionosphere, relying on the Faraday effect, which states that the polarization of light changes when it passes through a magnetic field. Also, a group of Soviet scientists from Moscow State University developed a method for observing a satellite with an accurate determination of its coordinates. Observation of this elliptical orbit and the nature of its behavior made it possible to determine the density of the atmosphere in the region of orbital altitudes. The unexpectedly increased density of the atmosphere in these areas prompted scientists to create a theory of satellite deceleration, which contributed to the development of astronautics.

Video about the first satellite.

In 1957, under the leadership of S.P. Korolev, the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile R-7 was created, which in the same year was used to launch the world's first artificial satellite of the Earth.

Artificial Earth Satellite (Satellites) is a spacecraft orbiting the Earth in a geocentric orbit. - the trajectory of a celestial body along an elliptical trajectory around the Earth. One of the two focuses of the ellipse, along which the celestial body moves, coincides with the Earth. To spaceship ended up in this orbit, he needs to be told a speed that is less than the second cosmic speed, but not less than the first cosmic speed. AES flights are performed at altitudes up to several hundred thousand kilometers. The lower limit of the AES flight altitude is determined by the need to avoid the process of rapid deceleration in the atmosphere. The orbital period of a satellite, depending on the average flight altitude, can range from one and a half hours to several days.

Of particular importance are satellites in geostationary orbit, whose orbital period is strictly equal to days, and therefore, for a ground observer, they "hang" motionless in the sky, which makes it possible to get rid of rotary devices in the antennas. Geostationary orbit(GSO) - a circular orbit located above the equator of the Earth (0 ° latitude), in which an artificial satellite revolves around the planet with an angular velocity equal to the angular velocity of the Earth's rotation around its axis. The movement of an artificial Earth satellite in a geostationary orbit.

Sputnik-1- the first artificial Earth satellite, the first spacecraft, launched into orbit in the USSR on October 4, 1957.

Satellite code designation - PS-1(The simplest Sputnik-1). The launch was carried out from the 5th research site of the USSR Ministry of Defense "Tyura-Tam" (later this place was called the Baikonur cosmodrome) on a launch vehicle "Sputnik" (R-7).

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

The launch date of the first artificial Earth satellite is considered the beginning of the space age of mankind, and in Russia it is celebrated as a memorable day for the Space Forces.

The body of the satellite consisted of two hemispheres 58 cm in diameter made of aluminum alloy with docking frames connected by 36 bolts. The tightness of the joint was ensured by a rubber gasket. In the upper half-shell were two antennas, each of two pins 2.4 m and 2.9 m long. Since the satellite was not oriented, the four-antenna system gave uniform radiation in all directions.

A block of electrochemical sources was placed inside the sealed case; radio transmitting device; fan; thermal relay and air duct of the thermal control system; switching device of on-board electrical automatics; temperature and pressure sensors; onboard cable network. First satellite mass: 83.6 kg.

The history of the creation of the first satellite

On May 13, 1946, Stalin signed a decree establishing the rocket science and industry in the USSR. In August S. P. Korolev was appointed chief designer of long-range ballistic missiles.

But back in 1931 in the USSR, a Jet Propulsion Study Group was created, which was engaged in the design of missiles. This group worked Tsander, Tikhonravov, Pobedonostsev, Korolev... In 1933, on the basis of this group, the Jet Institute was organized, which continued work on the creation and improvement of missiles.

In 1947, in Germany, V-2 missiles were assembled and flight tests were carried out, and they laid the foundation for Soviet works on the development of rocketry. However, V-2 embodied in its design the ideas of the lone geniuses Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Hermann Obert, Robert Goddard.

In 1948, at the Kapustin Yar test site, the R-1 rocket was already tested, which was a copy of the V-2, manufactured entirely in the USSR. Then the R-2 with a range of up to 600 km appeared, these missiles were put into service since 1951. A The creation of the R-5 missile with a range of up to 1200 km was the first separation from the V-2 technology. These missiles were tested in 1953, and research began immediately on their use as a carrier. nuclear weapons... On May 20, 1954, the government issued a decree on the development of the R-7 two-stage intercontinental missile. And already on May 27, Korolev sent a report to the Minister of Defense Industry DF Ustinov on the development of an artificial satellite and the possibility of launching it with the help of the future R-7 rocket.

Launch!

On Friday, October 4, at 22 hours 28 minutes 34 seconds Moscow time, the successful launch... 295 seconds after the launch, PS-1 and the central block of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched into an elliptical orbit with an apogee height of 947 km, at a perigee of 288 km. At 314.5 seconds after the launch, the Sputnik separated and he gave his vote. "Beep! Beep! " - so his callsigns sounded. They were caught at the range for 2 minutes, then Sputnik went beyond the horizon. People at the cosmodrome ran out into the street, shouted "Hurray!", Shook the designers and the military. And even on the first loop, the TASS message sounded: "... As a result of a lot of hard work of research institutes and design bureaus, the world's first artificial Earth satellite was created ..."

Only after the first satellite signals were received, the results of telemetry processing were received and it turned out that only a fraction of a second separated from failure. One of the engines "lagged", and the time to reach the mode is tightly controlled and when it is exceeded, the start is automatically canceled. The block went into operation less than a second before the control time. At the 16th second of the flight, the fuel supply control system failed, and due to the increased consumption of kerosene, the central engine turned off 1 second earlier than the estimated time. But the winners are not judged! The satellite flew for 92 days, until January 4, 1958, completing 1440 revolutions around the Earth (about 60 million km), and its radio transmitters worked for two weeks after launch. Due to friction against the upper layers of the atmosphere, the satellite lost speed, entered the dense layers of the atmosphere and burned out due to friction against the air.

Officially, "Sputnik-1" and "Sputnik-2" were launched by the Soviet Union in accordance with their obligations under the International Geophysical Year. The satellite emitted radio waves at two frequencies of 20.005 and 40.002 MHz in the form of telegraph messages with a duration of 0.3 s, this made it possible to study the upper layers of the ionosphere - before the launch of the first satellite, it was possible to observe only the reflection of radio waves from the regions of the ionosphere lying below the zone of maximum ionization of the ionospheric layers.

Launch goals

• verification of calculations and basic technical solutions adopted for the launch;
• ionospheric studies of the passage of radio waves emitted by satellite transmitters;
• experimental determination of the density of the upper layers of the atmosphere by the deceleration of the satellite;
• investigation of the operating conditions of the equipment.

Despite the fact that the satellite was completely lacking any scientific equipment, the study of the nature of the radio signal and optical observations of the orbit made it possible to obtain important scientific data.

Other satellites

The second country to launch satellites was the United States: on February 1, 1958, an artificial earth satellite was launched Explorer-1... It was in orbit until March 1970, but stopped broadcasting as early as February 28, 1958. The first American artificial Earth satellite was launched by Brown's team.

Werner Magnus Maximilian von Braun- German, and since the late 1940s, American designer rocket and space technology, one of the founders of modern rocketry, the creator of the first ballistic missiles. In the United States, he is considered the "father" of the American space program. For political reasons, von Braun was not given permission to launch the first American satellite for a long time (the US leadership wanted the satellite to be launched by the military), so preparations for the launch of the Explorer began in earnest only after the Avangard accident. For the launch, a boosted version of the Redstone ballistic missile called Jupiter-C was created. The satellite's mass was exactly 10 times less than the mass of the first Soviet satellite - 8.3 kg. It was equipped with a Geiger counter and a meteoric particle sensor. The Explorer's orbit was noticeably higher than the orbit of the first satellite.

The following countries that launched satellites - Great Britain, Canada, Italy - launched their first satellites in 1962, 1962, 1964 ... on American launch vehicles... And the third country to launch the first satellite on its launch vehicle was France November 26, 1965

Now satellites are being launched more than 40 countries (as well as individual companies) using both their own launch vehicles (LV) and those provided as launch services by other countries and interstate and private organizations.

“The first great step of humanity is to fly out of the atmosphere and become a satellite of the Earth. The rest is comparatively easy, up to and including distance from our Solar system»

NEW SPACE ERA

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

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

The PS-1 spacecraft (the simplest satellite-1) was a ball 58 centimeters in diameter, weighed 83.6 kilograms, and was equipped with four pin antennas 2.4 and 2.9 meters long to transmit signals from battery-powered transmitters. 295 seconds after the launch, PS-1 and the central block of the rocket weighing 7.5 tons were launched into an elliptical orbit with an apogee height 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 the whole world immediately heard its call signs.

Over the creation of an artificial Earth satellite, led by the founder of practical cosmonautics S.P. Korolev worked scientists M.V. Keldysh, M.K. Tikhonravov, N.S. Lidorenko, V.I. Lapko, B.S. Chekunov and many others.

The PS-1 satellite flew 92 days, until January 4, 1958, completing 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 a planet of our 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, information on the operating conditions of the equipment, which was most useful for further launches, was obtained, all calculations were checked, and the density of the upper atmosphere was determined by the deceleration of the satellite.

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

In September 1967, the International Federation of Astronautics proclaimed October 4 as the Day of the beginning of the space age of mankind.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SATELLITE

“On October 4, 1957, the first satellite was successfully launched in the USSR. According to preliminary data, the launch vehicle told the satellite the required orbital speed of 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 with the help of the simplest optical instruments (binoculars, telescopes, etc.).

According to 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 equatorial plane is 65 °. On October 5, 1957, the satellite will pass over the Moscow region twice - at 1 hour 46 minutes. nights and at 6 o'clock. 42 minutes morning Moscow time. Messages about the subsequent movement of the first artificial satellite, launched in the USSR on October 4, will be broadcast regularly by broadcast radio stations.

The satellite has the shape of a sphere with a diameter of 58 cm and a weight of 83.6 kg. It has two radio transmitters that continuously emit radio signals with a frequency of 20.005 and 40.002 megahertz (wavelength of 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 are in the form of telegraph transmissions with a duration of about 0.3 seconds. with a pause of the same duration. A signal of one frequency is sent while a signal of another frequency is paused ... ”.

SATELLITE: A HARMFUL IDEA

Mikhail Klavdievich Tikhonravov was a man of incredible curiosity. Mathematics and many engineering disciplines that he mastered at the Academy. N. Ye. Zhukovsky, did not dry up his romantic enthusiasm and inclination to fantastic reflections. He painted landscapes in oils, collected a collection of woodcutter beetles and studied the dynamics of flight of insects, secretly hoping to find a certain new principle to construct incredible aircraft... He liked to mathematize dreams, and he received, perhaps, equal pleasure both when calculations showed their reality, and when, on the contrary, led to absurdity: he loved to learn. Once Tikhonravov decided to short-circuit an artificial satellite of the Earth. Of course, he read Tsiolkovsky and knew that a single-stage rocket would not be able to launch a satellite into orbit, he carefully studied his "Space Rocket Trains", "Maximum Rocket Speed" and other works, in which the idea of ​​a multistage rocket was theoretically substantiated for the first time, but he was interested in estimating various options for connecting these stages, to see what all this translates into in terms of weights, in short, to decide how realistic the very idea of ​​obtaining the first space velocity required for a satellite at the current level of development of rocket technology is. I started counting and got carried away in earnest. The defense research institute, in which Mikhail Klavdievich worked, was engaged in things incomparably more serious than an artificial satellite of the Earth, but to the credit of his boss - Alexei Ivanovich Nesterenko - all this unscheduled semi-fantastic work at the institute was not only not pursued, but, on the contrary, was encouraged and supported by him, although it was not advertised in order to avoid accusations of projecting. Tikhonravov and a small group of his equally enthusiastic employees in 1947-1948, without any computers, did a colossal calculation work and proved that there really is a real version of such a rocket package, which, in principle, can accelerate a certain load to the first space velocity.

In June 1948, the Academy of Artillery Sciences was preparing to hold a scientific session, and a paper came to the institute where Tikhonravov worked, asking what reports the research institute could submit. Tikhonravov decided to report on the results of his calculations for AES - an artificial Earth satellite. Nobody actively objected, but the topic of the report nevertheless sounded so strange, if not wildly, that they decided to consult with the president of the artillery academy Anatoly Arkadyevich Blagonravov.

Completely gray-haired in his 54 years, a handsome, exquisitely polite academician in the uniform of a lieutenant-general of artillery, surrounded by several of his closest employees, listened to the small delegation from the NIIZ very attentively. He understood that Mikhail Klavdievich's calculations were correct, that all this was not Jules Verne or Herbert Wells, but he also understood something else: such a report would not beautify a scientific session of the artillery academy.

An interesting question, - Anatoly Arkadyevich said in a tired, colorless voice, - but we will not be able to include your report. They will hardly understand us ... They will accuse us of doing the wrong thing ...

The people in uniform around the president nodded in agreement.

When the small delegation of the Research Institute left, Blagonravov experienced some kind of mental discomfort. He worked a lot with the military and took over from them in general useful rule do not revise decisions taken, but here again and again he returned to Tikhonravov's report and at home in the evening again thought about it, could not drive away from himself the thought that this frivolous report was actually serious.

Tikhonravov was a real researcher and a good engineer, but he was not a fighter. The AAN president's refusal upset him. At the research institute, his young employees, who were silent in the president's office, now raised a hubbub, in which, however, new serious arguments flashed in favor of their report.

Why were you silent there? - Mikhail Klavdievich got angry.

We must go again and persuade the general! - the youth decided.

And the next day they went again. There was such an impression that Blagonravov seemed to be delighted with their arrival. He smiled, and listened to new arguments with half an ear. Then he said:

OK then. We will include the report in the session plan. Get ready - we will blush together ...

Then there was a report, and after the report, as Blagonravov expected, one very serious man of noble rank asked Anatoly Arkadievich, as if in passing, looking over the head of the interlocutor:

The institute probably has nothing to do, and therefore you decided to move into the realm of science fiction ...

There were plenty of ironic smiles. But there were not only smiles. Sergei Korolev approached Tikhonravov without a smile, said, sternly in his manner:

We need to talk seriously ...

SATELLITE AS A CAUTION

Few people in America have heard of a man named Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. However, it was thanks to him that NASA was created; it was thanks to him that we got to the moon. It was thanks to this mysterious Russian that federal loans appeared in our country for higher education; it is thanks to him that we can watch the games of the National Football League on DirecTV.

"Chief Designer" - these words became the name of Korolyov, the real information about whom was a state secret of the Soviet Union - practically single-handedly began the world rocket and space race. To a very large extent because of this stubborn man who survived the Stalinist Gulag, although he lost all his teeth and almost his life in the Siberian camps, in 1960 the Republican Party lost the elections to the White House, and Lyndon B. Johnson, on the contrary, passed along with John F. Kennedy and eventually became the 36th president of America.

For all these events are nothing more than even the largest consequences of the launch of the tiny Soviet Sputnik, created under the leadership of Korolev 50 years ago and launched into space on October 4, 1957. This launch caused a panic in the United States, the consequences of which we feel before The main source of fear, however, was not this aluminum ball, but a huge carrier on which he flew into space - the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile. The Soviet Union the ability to destroy any city on Earth in a few minutes - at that time it was an opportunity that no one else had. For the first time in American history, its territory became vulnerable to attack by a foreign state.

SECOND CLIP TO AMERICA

Before the United States could somehow respond to the flight of Sputnik-1, on November 3 of the same year, a second satellite was launched into low-earth orbit.

Laika is a dog, the first living creature launched into Earth's orbit. It was launched into space on November 3, 1957 at half past six in the morning Moscow time on the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik-2. She was housed in a space kennel the size of a washing machine. At that time Laika was about two years old and weighed about 6 kilograms. Like many other animals in space, the dog died during the flight - 5-7 hours after the start, it died from stress and overheating. Although Laika was unable to survive, the experiment confirmed that a living passenger could survive launch into orbit and zero gravity; thus, Laika paved the way into space for people, including Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin. The first animals to safely return from space flight were the dogs Belka and Strelka.