The Space Age turns 60

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Today at 19:28:24 UT, it is exactly 60 years ago that Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite of the Earth, was launched from Tyuratam (Baikonur) in the Soviet Union. Thus, the Space Age was born.

Sputnik 1 would stay in orbit for  four months and then re-entered into the atmosphere. The image above shows the very first two orbits (and is based on a TLE from the website of Jonathan McDowell. Strictly speaking, this TLE is for the upper stage of the rocket, but during the first few orbits the orbits of both objects were very similar).