The Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 satellite took to the skies on Oct. 4, 1957, launching the space age and the Cold War space race. Here are a few fun facts you may not know about Sputnik 1 and its ...

Sputnik 1 was launched on October 4, 1957, at 1928 UTC from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in present-day Kazakhstan using the R-7 rocket. It was also known as Sputnik 8K71PS, a modified intercontinental ...

On Oct. 4, 1957, the former Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1 the first human-made object to enter Earth orbit. See photos from the historic mission.