R7 Rocket Before the Launch 4

Description

R7 rocket before the launch, photo; licensed article; original: 5740×4315; photographer: unknown; subject to license; rights: A9 Bleek/zb Media. The photos depict the historic launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, which inaugurated the era of space exploration.

R-7 rocket on the launch pad: The Soviet R-7 intercontinental missile, originally developed for military purposes, was converted into a launch vehicle for the first artificial Earth satellite.
Rocket launch: The images show the moment of the launch – an impressive sight with fire and smoke as the R-7 lifts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome into space.
Sputnik 1 in orbit: The spherical satellite model with four long antennas orbits the Earth. Sputnik transmits radio signals that can be received worldwide.

The launch of Sputnik marked the beginning of the space age and triggered the Sputnik shock in the West. The USA was caught off guard by the technological superiority of the Soviet Union, further fueling the space race between the superpowers.