Sputnik 1 was the first artificial Earth satellite. On Oct. 4, 1957, Sputnik 1 successfully launched and entered Earth's orbit. Thus, began the space age. The successful launch shocked the world, giving the former Soviet Union the distinction of putting the first human-made object into space. It was orbiting Earth on low orbit for three weeks before its batteries died, then silently for two more months before falling back into the atmosphere.
