Sputnik 1
Despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Soviet space program still remains as one of the most highly successful space programs throughout history.
The Soviet space program accomplished a great number of firsts:
Sputnik 1 – the first man-made satellite
Laika – the first animal in space
Yuri Gagarin – the first human in space and space orbit
Luna 2 – the first man-made object to impact the lunar surface
Mir – the first consistently manned space station
Sputnik 1
This Soviet satellite was launched into low Earth orbit on October 4, 1857. A low Earth orbit is defined as an orbit up to an altitude of 2,000 km. Traveling at a dizzying speed of 29,000 kilometers per hour, Sputnik 1 was able to complete an orbit in a span of only 96. 2 minutes.
Laika
Laika’s mission, although which also led to her death, was able to prove that humans could survive being launched into space and even endure the effects of weightlessness. This eventually paved the way for manned space flights.
Yuri Gagarin
Revered throughout the world, Yuri Gagarin (a.k.a. the Hero of the Soviet Union) conquered space on April 12, 1961. His historical achievement was the ultimate motivation for the US to embark on a rapid-paced endeavor that eventually led to the first Moon landing by the Apollo 11 crew.
Luna 2
Luna 2 was an unmanned spacecraft without any propulsion system. Hence, it basically reached the lunar surface by impacting it. Luna 2 carried with it scintillation and geiger counters, a magnetometer, Cherenkov detectors, and micrometeorite detectors.
Mir
This space station, which took about ten years to construct (from 1986 to 1996), was able to operate for a period of 15 years. During this period, the space station was made accessible even to astronauts from the US and other European countries. It ended operations in March 23, 2001, when it was de-orbited and eventually broke apart upon atmospheric re-entry.
Even if the Soviet space program deteriorated after the split of the USSR, the Russians are still planning to embark on more ambitious missions. Perhaps the most interesting is their plan to put up a manned Moon base in 2027. This will be preceded by a robotic lunar base on 2015.
Yuri’s mission is one of the greatest highlights in the Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. Read about it here in Universe Today. We also have an article about the 43 anniversary of Gargarin’s flight.
Even NASA has an in-depth article about Yuri Gargarin. There are also some interesting reads at russianspaceweb.com.
Astronomy Cast has an episode with a discussion on the Vostok 1 mission.
Source: Russian Space Web
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