On this day in 1957 the Soviet Union launched the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik. With a diameter of 22 inches and weighing 183 pounds. It was visiable at night with binoculars. America’s were shocked by Sputnik. This kind of got the United States moving as far as the space race went. Sputnik stayed in orbit for three months, it came down on January 4th,1958 when it decayed and reentered the atmosphere having orbited Earth, 1440 times.
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This event greatly affected the education of an entire generation. I had not yet entered school when Sputnik went up. But I was made aware of it when I was capable of understanding major news events.