List of spacecraft called Sputnik

Sputnik [ sput.n ʲ ik ] (Russian Спутник for " companion ", " companions ", in astronomical terms " Trabant " and "Satellite ") was the name of the first ten Soviet satellites reached orbit. Sputnik 1 on 4 October 1957 was the first artificial earth satellite in an orbit and is considered as the start of the Soviet space exploration. The word Sputnik is one of the 100 words of the 20th century, and in some (especially Eastern European ) countries a synonym for satellite. After Sputnik 10 the name was no longer used for naming Earth satellites, but only to designate stranded in Earth orbit spacecraft.

Construction

The chief designer Sergei Pavlovich Korolev was unknown in the West until his death in 1966 and was therefore called Mister X.. He had changed after his training at the Polytechnic Institute of Kiev at the Technical University of Moscow, where he worked on rocket propulsion. This work generated interest in the Red Army and General Tukhachevsky supported from 1935 Korolev's team and led the establishment of an institute for the development of ballistic missiles. The preparation was carried out in closed cities like Dnipropetrovsk. Recent reports mention Mikhail Tichonrawow than actual developer of Sputnik 1

Sputnik 1 - The beginning of space

During the preparations for the International Geophysical Year, the U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 29 July 1955, the commission for Earth satellites announced. The Soviet Union responded just four days later with the announcement of a similar program.

Already on October 4, 1957 - unexpectedly fast for the western world - the Soviet Union launched from the Baikonur space center from the spherical satellite (diameter 58 cm), Sputnik 1, using a slightly modified intercontinental ballistic missile of the type R - 7th The 83.6 kg heavy earth satellite contained a thermometer and a radio transmitter, which was 21 days active and a short wave signal ( 20.005 MHz and 40.003 MHz) radiated. This was to prove that it is possible to locate man-made objects in space. Sputnik was moving in its orbit initially in about 96 minutes once around the Earth. He burned up 92 days after the start, when he entered again into the deeper layers of the atmosphere.

The beeping signals of Sputnik? / I could be received all over the world. In Western Europe they began Heinz Kaminski in the People Bochum observatory at first. At the school observatory Rodewisch (Saxony ) of Sputnik on October 8, 1957 was first seen with the help of binoculars. There was on 13 October 1957, the first photograph of the carrier rocket of Sputnik 1

The realization that the Soviet Union was the launch of the first artificial earth satellite in a position triggered in the West from an immense sense of threat: Sputnik made ​​suddenly realized that the U.S. had reached with intercontinental ballistic missiles of the Soviet Union. This technique, known as Sputnik shock phenomenon led consecutive establishing NASA and restructuring and increased efforts in education in the western industrialized nations.

The other Sputnik missions

Overall, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik ten, the last on 25 March 1961 just 18 days before the flight of Yuri Gagarin. All launches were made from Baikonur using a converted intercontinental ballistic missiles, which were provided from Sputnik 4 with an additional rocket stage.

Also for the other Sputnik was each provided at least one complete change:

Sputnik 2

The second built by human body in orbit was Sputnik 2, which was launched on 3 November 1957, the first living being brought into orbit, the dog Laika. A return to earth was not intended and technically not even possible. This fact aroused many times pity - especially when the first television pictures were shown blurred - but also enormous interest. Probably Laika survived the start with its mixture of noise, vibration and acceleration of only a few hours until they ( the temperature control system worked quickly developed not reliable) by stress and excessive heat died in the narrow capsule.

Originally it was planned that Laika would survive ten days provide sufficient data of their bodily functions - and her then portioned poisoned food would be granted a quick death. Sputnik 2 burned up because of its higher apogee (see peri-and apogee ) significantly later than Sputnik 1, namely on April 14, 1958 after 162 days in orbit and about 2250 orbits - Orbital period around the Earth at 103.7 minutes.

The conical Sputnik 2 with a launch mass of 508.3 kg and a size of 1.2 m in diameter and about 1.5 m height aroused disbelief at the western experts and clearly showed that high payload could carry the launcher. They suggested the use of a new missile, but later it became known that it was the same launcher as the launch of Sputnik -1. The orbital altitude of the second earth satellite was 225-1671 kilometer with an inclination of 65.3 degrees to the equator.

Sputnik 3

Sputnik 3 (referred to in the development of object -D) was supposed to start the first Soviet satellite into space. Since he was not ready in time and was too heavy, sputnik 1 his place. On February 3, 1958 Sputnik 3 should be started, the startup failed, however, and was repeated on 15 May 1958, a replacement satellite. Sputnik 3 was twelve scientific instruments (sensors for pressure, temperature and composition of the atmosphere, radiation measuring instruments, sensors for electric and magnetic fields) in space, which should investigate the upper atmosphere and the radiation belts of the earth - but this also failed because the tape recorder failed for the measurement data and only a few data from the sensors could be received directly from the overflight of a ground station. The Van Allen radiation belt was discovered in January 1958 by the first American explorer and named after the instrument developers. The satellite itself was a cone-shaped body of 3.57 m long, 1.73 m diameter and a mass of 1327 kg. Sputnik 3 burned up on 6 April 1960. The orbital altitude of the satellite was 226-1881 kilometers. He orbited the Earth once in 106 minutes on an inclined by 65.2 ° orbit.

Sputnik 4

Sputnik 4 (also Korabl - Sputnik 1 or spaceship called 1 ) was launched on 15 May 1960. This was the first prototype for the used 1961 Vostok spacecraft for manned flights. The orbital altitude of the satellite was 312-369 kilometers later 307-690 kilometers. The orbital period around the Earth was 91.2 minutes. 1962 plunged parts of Sputnik 4 from a street intersection in the U.S. state of Wisconsin.

Sputnik 5

Sputnik 5 (also Korabl - Sputnik 2, or Space Ship 2 ) launched on 19 August 1960 and was among others, two dogs into space: Strelka (Russian for " small arrow " ) and Belka (Russian for "Squirrel "). Other passengers were 40 mice, 2 rats and plants. After 18 orbits in a web height of 306-330 km and at a mission in orbit in 90.7 minutes, landed on August 20, 1960 both dogs safely back on Earth. This was the second flight of the prototype of the Vostok and a decisive step for the technique of soft landing.

Strelka later gave birth to six puppies, one of which, Push Inca, Caroline Kennedy, daughter of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, was given. The transfer was carried out by the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Today there are the prepared body of Strelka and Belka, exhibited in glass cases in the Museum of Cosmonautics in Moscow.

Sputnik 6

Sputnik 6 (or Korabl - Sputnik 3 or spaceship 3) was the third prototype of the Vostok spacecraft and carried on December 1, 1960, the dogs Pchelka (Russian for " Little Bee " ) and Mushka (Russian for " little fly " ) in the space. The landing capsule was destroyed during the return to Earth due to a too steep reentry angle on 2 December 1960. Sputnik 6 was in an orbit height from 187.3 to 265 kilometers and had an orbital period of 88.6 minutes.

Sputnik 7

Sputnik 7 ( Venera -1 or space ship 4) was on February 4, 1961 started with a Molniya rocket Venus space probe that has not left because of a problem with the upper stage of the rocket orbit. She circled the Earth at an orbital height from 223.5 to 327.6 kilometers at an inclination to the equator 64-57 degrees. A mission in orbit lasted 98.8 minutes.

Sputnik 8

Sputnik 8 was the upper stage of the Molniya rocket that was to carry the spacecraft Venera -1 to Venus on February 12, 1961.

Sputnik 9

Sputnik 9 (or Korabl - Sputnik 4 or spaceship 5) was the fourth flight of the prototype of the Vostok spacecraft. He launched on 9 March 1961 with the dog Chernushka (Russian for " Blackie "), a cosmonaut dummy, a guinea pig and mice on board. The landing capsule was recovered successfully after a mission in orbit.

Sputnik 10

Sputnik 10 (or Korabl - Sputnik 5), the last of ten Sputnik, the Soviet Union launched on 25 March 1961 as a test for the flight of Yuri Gagarin in April 1961. This was the fifth flight of the prototype of the Vostok spacecraft. The dog Zvezdochka was on board (Russian for " star ") and the cosmonaut dummy " Ivan Ivanovich ". After a mission in orbit, the capsule went down as planned in the steppe and was including animal that had survived the test intact, salvaged.

For use in all cases came on the R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile -based delivery systems that carried an additional stage rocket from Sputnik 4 ( Vostok rocket ). Sputnik 7 and 8 used the 4-stage Molniya rocket. All launches were made from Baikonur in Kazakh SSR, which was described as similar, regularly used rockets grounds of the United States and later the ELDO as " Spaceport ".

Sputnik 19/20/21

Sputnik 19, 20 and 21 were the names of Soviet Venus probes. Sputnik 19 should be started on 25 August 1962, however, ended by an error of Kick stage in low Earth orbit and burned up in the atmosphere three days later. The same fate befell Sputnik 20, which was launched on September 1, 1962 and burned up five days later. Sputnik 21 was launched on 12 September 1962. Although he reached orbit, but again, the fourth stage failed; by the explosion of the satellite was destroyed.

Sputnik 22

Sputnik 22 was the code name of a Soviet Mars probe. This should actually be brought on 24 October 1962 the way to Mars. However, the probe of the type -4 2MV reached only a low earth orbit, as the launcher 16 seconds failed by the explosion of the fourth stage of the turbo pump according to the ignition.