What is the name of the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957? A) Apollo 11 B) Sputnik 1 C) Voyager 1 D) Hubble Space Telescope
VerifiedAnswer: B) Sputnik 1
Explanation:
Sputnik 1 was indeed the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. This historic achievement marked the beginning of the Space Age and sparked the famous Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States.
The satellite was surprisingly small compared to what many people might imagine - it was only about the size of a beach ball, weighing approximately 183 pounds (83 kilograms). Despite its modest size, Sputnik 1 carried two radio transmitters that sent signals back to Earth, which could be picked up by radio operators around the world.
Let's quickly understand why the other options are incorrect. Apollo 11 was the famous NASA mission that landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969, but it came more than a decade after Sputnik 1. Voyager 1 is an American space probe launched in 1977 to study the outer planets and is now traveling through interstellar space. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, is a space-based observatory that has provided incredible images of distant galaxies and cosmic phenomena.
The launch of Sputnik 1 created quite a sensation worldwide. People could actually see the satellite passing overhead as it reflected sunlight, and the distinctive "beep-beep" sound of its radio signals became a symbol of this new technological era. The success of this mission demonstrated that space exploration was possible and paved the way for future achievements like human spaceflight, moon landings, and the International Space Station.
