Sputnik (Спутник,

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

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 spaceflight, fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including Telecommunications, communications, Earth observation satellite, Earth ...

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 dissol ...

. " Sputnik 1", "

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 t ...

" 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''

* Sputnik 1, 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 spacec ...

) 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 Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik (russian: Днепропетровский Спутник; ua, Дніпропетровський супутник), also known as DS, was a series of satellites launched by the Soviet Union between 1961 and 1982. DS satel ...

, a series of scientific and technology development satellites *

Istrebitel Sputnikov Istrebitel Sputnikov, or IS (russian: Истребитель спутников, ИС, meaning "destroyer of satellites"Not to be confounded with "sputnik-istrebitel" ("спутник-истребитель"), "fighter satellite".), was a Soviet ...

, "Destroyer of Satellites", a series of antisatellite weapons and targets *

Tyazhely Sputnik Tyazhely Sputnik (russian: Тяжёлый Спутник, meaning ''Heavy Satellite''), also known by its development name as Venera 1VA No. 1, and in the West as Sputnik 7, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was intended to be the first sp ...

, "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 o ...

, nuclear-powered ocean radar surveillance satellites **

US-K Upravlyaemy Sputnik Kontinentalny (russian: Управляемый Спутник Континентальный meaning ''Continental Controllable Satellite'') or US-K (russian: УС-К) is a series of Russian, previously Soviet, satellites used t ...

, molniya orbit missile detection satellites **

US-KS Upravlyaemy Sputnik Kontinentalny Statsionarny (russian: Управляемый Спутник Континентальный Стационарный meaning ''Stationary Continental Controllable Satellite''), or US-KS (russian: УС-КС), also ...

, geosynchronous orbit missile detection satellites **

US-KMO US-KMO (russian: УС-КМО), an abbreviation for Upravlyaemy Sputnik - Kontinenty Morya Okeany (russian: Управляемый Спутник - Континенты Моря Океаны) meaning ''Controllable Satellite - Continents, Oceans, Se ...

, 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 Korabl-Sputnik 1 (russian: Корабль Спутник 1 meaning ''Vessel Satellite 1''), also known as Sputnik 4 in the West, was the first test flight of the Soviet Vostok programme, and the first Vostok spacecraft. It was launched on May 15, 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 sen ...

*Sputnik 6 –

Korabl-Sputnik 3 Korabl-Sputnik 3 (russian: Корабль-Спутник 3 meaning ''Ship-Satellite 3'') or Vostok-1K No.3, also known as Sputnik 6 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft which was launched in 1960. It was a test flight of the Vostok spacecraft, carr ...

*Sputnik 7 –

*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 Febru ...

*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 Kosmos 1 (russian: Космос 1 meaning ''Cosmos 1''), also known as DS-2 No.1 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 11 was a technology demonstration and ionospheric research satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1962. It was the fi ...

*Sputnik 12 – Kosmos 2 *Sputnik 13 – Kosmos 3 *Sputnik 14 –

Kosmos 4 Kosmos 4 (russian: Космос 4 meaning ''Kosmos 4''), also known as Zenit-2 No.2 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 14 was the first Soviet reconnaissance satellite to successfully reach orbit. Spacecraft Kosmos 4 was a Zenit-2 satel ...

*Sputnik 15 –

Kosmos 5 Kosmos 5 (russian: Космос 5 meaning ''Cosmos 5''), also known as 2MS #2 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 15 was a scientific research and technology demonstration satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1962. It was the fifth sate ...

*Sputnik 16 –

Kosmos 6 Kosmos 6 (russian: Космос 6 meaning ''Cosmos 6''), also known as DS-P1 No.1 as part of the Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik programme and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 16 was a prototype radar target satellite for anti-ballistic missile tests ...

*Sputnik 17 –

Kosmos 7 Kosmos 7 (russian: Космос 7 meaning ''Cosmos 7''), also known as Zenit-2 No.4 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 17 was a Soviet reconnaissance satellite launched in 1962. It was the seventh satellite to be designated under the Kosmos ...

*Sputnik 18 – Kosmos 8 *Sputnik 19 –

Venera 2MV-1 No.1 Venera 2MV-1 No.1, also known as Sputnik 19 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme. Due to a problem with its upper stage it failed to leave low Earth orbit, and reentered the atmosphere ...

*Sputnik 20 –

Venera 2MV-1 No.2 Venera 2MV-1 No.2, also known as Sputnik 20 in the Western world, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme. Due to a problem with its upper stage it failed to leave low Earth orbit, and reentered the atmo ...

*Sputnik 21 –

Venera 2MV-2 No.1 Venera 2MV-2 No.1, also known as Sputnik 21 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme, and was intended to make a flyby of Venus. Due to a problem with the rocket which launched it, it faile ...

*Sputnik 22 –

Mars 2MV-4 No.1 Mars 2MV-4 No.1 also known as Sputnik 22 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Mars programme, and was intended to make a flyby of Mars, and transmit images of the planet back to Earth. Due to a problem ...

*Sputnik 23 –

Mars 1 Mars 1 Mars 1, also known as 1962 Beta Nu 1, Mars 2MV-4 and Sputnik 23, was an automatic interplanetary station launched in the direction of Mars on November 1, 1962, the first of the Soviet Mars probe program, with the intent of flying by the ...

*Sputnik 24 –

Mars 2MV-3 No.1 Mars 2MV-3 No.1 also known as Sputnik 24 in the West, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Mars program, and was intended to land on the surface of Mars. Due to a problem with the rocket which launched it, it did no ...

*Sputnik 25 –

Luna E-6 No.2 Luna E-6 No.2, also identified as No.1, and sometimes known in the West as Sputnik 25, was a Soviet spacecraft which launched in 1963, but was placed into a useless orbit due to a problem with the upper stage of the rocket that launched it. It wa ...

Spacecraft named after Sputnik 1

* Sputnik 40 *

Sputnik 41 Sputnik 41 (russian: Спутник 41, french: Spoutnik 41), also known as Sputnik Jr 2 and Radio Sputnik 18 (RS-18), was a Franco-Russian amateur radio satellite which was launched in 1998 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Aéro-C ...

Sputnik 99 Sputnik 99 (russian: Спутник 99, also Radio Sputnik 19 or RS-19) launched on April 2, 1999 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome onboard a Soyuz-U-PVB launch vehicle. The nano-satellite was created in a joint-venture by Rosaviakosmos, Aéro-Club ...

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