Question by alexandra usman: what was the main purpose of the sputnik?
what kind of satellite was it? what was its main purpose?
to observe earth?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Geoff G
It wasn’t “the Sputnik”; there were more than one. Sputnik was a whole series of Soviet satellites with a variety of purposes. Sputnik 1, launched on October 4, 1957, was the very first artificial satellite. There were many more Sputniks launched after this, several of them carrying dogs.
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Elizabeth H says
Sputnik 1 provided the first opportunity for meteoroid detection (no such events were reported), since losses in internal pressure due to meteoroid penetration of the outer surface would have been evident in the temperature data. The satellite transmitters operated for three weeks, until the on-board chemical batteries failed, and were monitored with intense interest around the world.
Sputnik 2 was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit and was the first biological to contain a passenger. It was a 4 m high cone-shaped capsule with a base diameter of 2 m. It contained several compartments for radio transmitters, a telemetry system, a programming unit, a regeneration and temperature control system for the cabin, and scientific instruments. A separate sealed cabin contained the experimental dog Laika. Engineering and biological data were transmitted using the Tral_D telemetry system, which would transmit data to Earth for 15 minutes of each orbit. Two spectrophotometers were on board for measuring solar radiation (ultraviolet and x-ray emissions) and cosmic rays. A television camera was mounted in the passenger compartment to observe Laika. The camera could transmit 100-line video frames at 10 frames/sec.
Sputnik 3 was an automatic scientific laboratory spacecraft. It was conically-shaped at 3.57 m long. The scientific instrumentation (twelve instruments) provided data on pressure and composition of the upper atmosphere, concentration of charged particles, photons in cosmic rays, heavy nuclei in cosmic rays, magnetic and electrostatic fields, and meteoric particles. The outer radiation belts of the Earth were detected during the flight. The spacecraft remained in orbit until April 6, 1960.
Sputnik 4 – This spacecraft, the first of a series of spacecraft used to investigate the means for manned space flight, contained scientific instruments, a television system, and a self-sustaining biological cabin with a dummy of a man. The spacecraft was designed to study the operation of the life support system and the stresses of flight. The spacecraft radioed both extensive telemetry and prerecorded voice communications. After four days of flight, the reentry cabin was separated from its service module and retrorockets were fired, but because of an incorrect attitude the spacecraft did not reenter the atmosphere.
lots more info – burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/advanced/20th_soviet_sputnik.html
Billy Butthead says
It's purpose was to be first in space and it beeped so you knew it was there.