Sputnik was the first artificial satellite, successfully launched into
orbit. It was built by the Soviet Union, and marked the beginning of the
Space Race. Sputnik helped measure the upper atmospheres density. The
satellite traveled at 29,000 Km/hr taking 96.2 minutes to complete an
orbit. Sputnik emitted radio signals at 20.005 and 40.002 MHz. The signals continued for 22 days until the transmitter batteries ran out on October 26, 1957.
Space Race
The Space Race was a competition of space exploration between the
Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1957 to
1975. It involved the efforts to explore outer space with artificial satellites,
to send humans into space, and to land them on the Moon. This race started with the launch of Sputnik. The expression "Space Race" originated as
an analogy to the arms race; which was happening at the same time.
Cold War
The Cold War is the period of tension and competition between the United States and Soviet Union after WWII. The Cold War lasted from the mid-1940s to the early 1990s. During that period the Soviet Union and United States spied on each other, and engaged in a competitive arms race. It was this competitive arms race that lead to the Space Race.
Eisenhower
President Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the
United States. He served as President from 1953 until 1961. Eisenhower
was
also a five-star general in the United States Army. During his
Presidency Eisenhower launched the Space Race, which became an
important aspect of the Cold War.
IGY
IGY stands for International Geophysical Year. This was an international
scientific effort that lasted from July first, 1957 to December 31st,
1958. The objective of IGY was to have a series of coordinated observations
of Earth Sciences by scientists all over the world. 67 countries took
part in this event. Both the United States and the Soviet Union
launched artificial satellites for this event, but only the Soviet
Union was successful in their endeavor.
Wernher Von Braun
Wernher von Braun was a German rocket physicist and astronautics engineer. He played an important role in the development of rocket technology in the United States and Germany. Von Braun developed the V-2 combat rocket during WWII for Germany. After the war he was taken to the United States along with some of his rocket developing team. In the United States von Braun and his team developed the Explorer 1, and the Redstone missile. While working for NASA he helped developed the Saturn V launch vehicle. Von Braun is generally regarded as the father of the United States space program.
