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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-sputnik-first-satellite

Which spacecraft became the first artificial satellite?

Sputnik I, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

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  1. Explorer I
  2. Sputnik I ✔
  3. Freedom 7

Why: Sputnik I became the first human-made object placed in Earth orbit. Its 1957 launch opened the space age.

Huh, didn't know that: The United States launched Explorer I a few months later.

The dad joke
Sputnik went around the world without packing a suitcase.
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References

Answer: Sputnik I. Sputnik I became the first human-made object placed in Earth orbit. Its 1957 launch opened the space age.

  1. Aerospace Dimensions Module 4, Rockets akwg.cap.gov/media/cms/Module_4__Rockets_6660F78F20B68_4ad77.pdf
    Sputnik I - first artificial satellite; Russian
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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