The first Earth satellite: radio signals heard
Russians’ success: circling world every 95 minutes
5 October 1957
The Tass agency announced last night that the first artificial Earth satellite was successfully launched in Russia yesterday. It is now circling the world 565 miles up once every 95 minutes and, according to the agency, can be observed in the rays of the rising and setting sun with ordinary binoculars or spy glasses.
The agency said: “The satellite is now revolving round the Earth along an elliptical trajectory at the estimated height of up to 900 km. It is in the form of a sphere 58cm (23in) in diameter, weighs 83.6 kg (180lb), and carries a radio transmitter.”
It was launched from a carrier rocket, which, the agency said, had imparted to it the required orbital velocity of about 8,000 metres a second. Its orbit is inclined at an angle of 65 degrees to the equatorial…
