Sputnik 1

Sputnik 1 replica, Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology, St. Petersburg The Soviet Union launched the original on October 4, 1957, and it became the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. The polished sphere is about 23 inches across, and its four long antennas sent out a simple radio beep that amateur operators around the world could pick up. Its batteries gave out after about three weeks, and the satellite burned up in the atmosphere in early January 1958.