| THE FIRST SATELLITES | ||
On October 4, 1957, the United States and the world realized with a shock that the USSR launched and orbited Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite of the earth. The satellite was an aluminum sphere, 58 centimeters in diameter, weighing 83.6 kilograms. Containing instrumentation to measure temperature and density, Sputnik 1 also held a radio beacon that transmitted a beeping sound as it orbited. In response, the Alabama-based Project Orbiter team told the U.S. officials that they could launch an American satellite within 90 days. However, the government did not want to rush into such an important decision, and the Orbiter team was put on "hold." |
|
|
| 27 of 32 | ||