The Beep Heard Around the World
On 4 October 1957 a new sound came from the sky: a steady beep from the first artificial satellite.
What was reported
On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 from what is now the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. A polished metal sphere 58 cm across with four long antennas, it circled Earth every 96 minutes, sending out a simple beep on two radio frequencies.
Anyone with a shortwave radio could tune in, and the sound was broadcast around the world. For many people it was a shock: the space age had begun.
Explanations offered
Sputnik's batteries ran out after three weeks, and it burned up in the atmosphere in January 1958. Tracking its signal taught scientists about the upper atmosphere, and its launch set off the space race.
- When
- 4 October 1957
- Where
- Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
- Witnesses
- Radio listeners around the world
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.