What was the Russian name for the first artificial satellite, launched in 1957?

The first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, was indeed known as Sputnik. The name itself is a Russian word, and in an astronomical context, it translates to "satellite". Other meanings for "sputnik" include "traveling companion" or "fellow traveler," derived from the Russian roots "s-" meaning "with" and "put-" meaning "path" or "way".

This polished metal sphere, roughly the size of a beach ball and weighing about 184 pounds, captivated the world as it circled Earth every 96 minutes, emitting a distinctive "beep-beep-beep" radio signal. This simple, yet profound, transmission could be picked up by amateur radio operators globally, confirming its presence in orbit. Sputnik's launch marked the dramatic beginning of the Space Age and ignited the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The successful orbiting of Sputnik came as a significant shock to many in the United States, who had believed their nation was technologically superior. It intensified Cold War tensions and spurred American policymakers to accelerate their own space and weapons programs, leading to the creation of NASA in 1958. While Sputnik 1 itself had limited scientific instruments, its mere existence in orbit provided valuable data about the upper atmosphere and the propagation of radio signals, forever changing humanity's perspective on space.