
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 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" 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
*
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 ...
, the first spacecraft to carry a living animal (the dog
Laika) into orbit, launched 3 November 1957
*
Sputnik 3, 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
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, "Heavy Satellite", a failed Venus probe
*
Upravlyaemy Sputnik, "Controllable Satellite", a series of ocean surveillance and missile detection satellites
**
US-A, 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
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
*Sputnik 6 –
Korabl-Sputnik 3
*Sputnik 7 –
Tyazhely Sputnik
*Sputnik 8 –
Venera 1
*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
*Sputnik 16 –
Kosmos 6
*Sputnik 17 –
Kosmos 7
*Sputnik 18 –
Kosmos 8
Kosmos 8 (russian: Космос 8 meaning ''Cosmos 8''), also known as DS-K-8 No.1 and occasionally in the West as Sputnik 18 was a technology demonstration satellite which was launched by the Soviet Union in 1962. It was the eighth satellite to ...
*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
*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 99
See also
*
Lists of spacecraft
This is a list of lists of spacecraft.
* List of active Solar System probes
* List of crewed spacecraft
* List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters
* List of heaviest spacecraft
* List of lunar probes
* List of Mars landers
* List of Mars orbiters
* ...
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sputnik
*
Lists of spacecraft