Sputnik (Спутник, Russian for "satellite"NOTE: The Russian word "sputnik" can have many meanings: "satellite", "travelling companion", "fellow traveller", etc. However, in astronomy, it means only "satellite".) is a

spacecraft A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, ...

launched under the

Soviet space program The Soviet space program (russian: Космическая программа СССР, Kosmicheskaya programma SSSR) was the national space program of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), active from 1955 until the dissoluti ...

. "

Sputnik 1 Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for ...

", "

Sputnik 2 Sputnik 2 (, russian: Спутник-2, ''Satellite 2''), or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2 (PS-2, russian: Простейший Спутник 2, italic=yes, ''Simplest Satellite 2'') was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, on 3 November 195 ...

" and "

Sputnik 3 Sputnik 3 (russian: Спутник-3, Satellite 3) was a Soviet satellite launched on 15 May 1958 from Baikonur Cosmodrome by a modified R-7/SS-6 ICBM. The scientific satellite carried a large array of instruments for geophysical research of ...

" were the official Soviet names of those objects, and the remaining designations in the series ("Sputnik 4" and so on) were not official names but names applied in the West to objects whose original Soviet names may not have been known at the time.

Spacecraft officially named ''Sputnik''

, the first

artificial satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisoto ...

to go into orbit, launched 4 October 1957 *

, the first spacecraft to carry a living animal (the dog

Laika Laika (russian: link=no, Лайка; – 3 November 1957) was a Soviet space dog who was one of the first animals in space and the first to orbit the Earth. A stray mongrel from the streets of Moscow, she flew aboard the Sputnik 2 space ...

) into orbit, launched 3 November 1957 *

, a research satellite launched 15 May 1958

Spacecraft with names containing ''Sputnik''

Being the Russian term for "satellite", the word ''Sputnik'' has appeared in the names of other spacecraft: * Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik, a series of scientific and technology development satellites * Istrebitel Sputnikov, "Destroyer of Satellites", a series of antisatellite weapons and targets * Tyazhely Sputnik, "Heavy Satellite", a failed Venus probe * Upravlyaemy Sputnik, "Controllable Satellite", a series of ocean surveillance and missile detection satellites **

US-A Upravlyaemy Sputnik Aktivnyy (russian: Управляемый Спутник Активный for Controlled Active Satellite), or US-A, also known in the west as Radar Ocean Reconnaissance Satellite or RORSAT (GRAU index 17F16K), was a series of ...

, nuclear-powered ocean radar surveillance satellites ** US-K, molniya orbit missile detection satellites ** US-KS, geosynchronous orbit missile detection satellites ** US-KMO, Modernised geosynchronous orbit missile detection satellites ** US-P, electronic ocean surveillance satellites ** US-PM, modernised electronic ocean surveillance satellites

Spacecraft designated "Sputnik" in the West

These objects are listed with their official Soviet names: *Sputnik 4 – Korabl-Sputnik 1 *Sputnik 5 –

Korabl-Sputnik 2 Korabl-Sputnik 2 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 2, lit=Ship-Satellite 2), also known as Sputnik 5 in the West, was a Soviet artificial satellite, and the third test flight of the Vostok spacecraft. It was the first spaceflight to send ...

*Sputnik 6 – Korabl-Sputnik 3 *Sputnik 7 – Tyazhely Sputnik *Sputnik 8 –

Venera 1 ''Venera 1'' (russian: Венера-1 meaning ''Venus 1''), also known as Venera-1VA No.2 and occasionally in the West as ''Sputnik 8'' was the first spacecraft to fly past Venus, as part of the Soviet Union's Venera programme. Launched in Febr ...

*Sputnik 9 –

Korabl-Sputnik 4 Korabl-Sputnik 4 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 4 meaning ''Ship-Satellite 4'') or Vostok-3KA No.1, also known as Sputnik 9 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched on 9 March 1961. Carrying the mannequin Ivan Ivanovich, ...

*Sputnik 10 –

Korabl-Sputnik 5 Korabl-Sputnik 5 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 5 meaning ''Ship-Satellite 5'') or Vostok-3KA No.2, also known as Sputnik 10 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched in 1961, as part of the Vostok programme. It was the last ...

*Sputnik 11 – Kosmos 1 *Sputnik 12 – Kosmos 2 *Sputnik 13 – Kosmos 3 *Sputnik 14 – Kosmos 4 *Sputnik 15 – Kosmos 5 *Sputnik 16 – Kosmos 6 *Sputnik 17 – Kosmos 7 *Sputnik 18 – Kosmos 8 *Sputnik 19 – Venera 2MV-1 No.1 *Sputnik 20 – Venera 2MV-1 No.2 *Sputnik 21 – Venera 2MV-2 No.1 *Sputnik 22 – Mars 2MV-4 No.1 *Sputnik 23 – Mars 1 *Sputnik 24 – Mars 2MV-3 No.1 *Sputnik 25 – Luna E-6 No.2

Spacecraft named after Sputnik 1

Sputnik 40 Sputnik 40 (russian: Спутник 40, french: Spoutnik 40), also known as Sputnik Jr, PS-2 and Radio Sputnik 17 (RS-17), was a Franco-Russian amateur radio satellite which was launched in 1997 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the la ...

* Sputnik 41 * Sputnik 99

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sputnik * Lists of spacecraft

Spacecraft officially named ''Sputnik''

Spacecraft with names containing ''Sputnik''

Spacecraft designated "Sputnik" in the West

Spacecraft named after Sputnik 1

See also

Notes