"Sputnik" was the name of the first artificial satellite to be launched into orbit around the Earth. It was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, and it marked the beginning of the "Space Age."
The name "Sputnik" means "companion" in Russian, and the satellite was a simple, spherical spacecraft that was about the size of a beach ball. It was equipped with four antennae that transmitted a series of beeps back to Earth, which were heard by people around the world. The launch of Sputnik had a significant impact on the aerospace industry, as it sparked a global "space race" between the Soviet Union and the United States, leading to the development of many new technologies and the exploration of space by both countries.