THE GREAT MULLARD MAGIC BLOG — valves in space

Sputnik 1 or Спутник was the first man made satellite launched by the Soviet Union into an elliptical low Earth orbit on 4 October 1957.  The satellite comprised of a 58 cm (23 in) diameter polished metal sphere, fitted with four external radio antennae designed by the Antenna Laboratory of OKB-1 led by Mikhail V. Krayushkin. Each antenna was made up of two whip-like parts of 2.4 and 2.9 meters (7.9 and 9.5 ft) in length. This configuration ensured the transmission of a spherical radiation pattern resulting in an omnidirectional signal of equal power that was not hampered by the...