On October 4th, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, becoming the first nation to dip its toe into the shallows of the cosmic ocean and beginning a new era of exploration. New episodes of COSMOS: Possible Worlds air Mondays at 8/7c on National Geographic. | National Geographic TV

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the satellite that started the Space Race. Discover more space history 👉 https://trib.al/f0ySF2J Sputnik 1 was the first human-made object to orbit the Earth, and it set off a wave of fear and anxiety across the U.S. now known as the "Sputnik crisis." Sputnik was a metal sphere roughly 2 feet (58 cm) in diameter with four long radio antennas. These antennas transmitted little beeping pulses down to Earth that even amateur radio operators cou

On this day in 1957, the Space Race began. 🌍✨ When the USSR launched Sputnik I, the first satellite to orbit Earth, the world changed overnight. The beeping sphere circling above wasn’t just a scientific triumph—it was a geopolitical shockwave. Suddenly, America was no longer ahead… and fear fueled a new era of innovation, rivalry, and discovery. 🎥 See how one small satellite sparked a global race for space in “Sputnik Declassified,” streaming now on Curiosity Stream. #OnThisDay #Sputnik #Spac