R7 Rocket Launches 1

Description

R7 Rocket launches, photo; licensed article; Original: 5740×4315; Photographer: Unknown; subject to license; Rights: © Bleek/zb Media. The photos depict the historic launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, which ushered in the era of space exploration.

R-7 Rocket on the Launch Pad: The Soviet R-7 intercontinental missile, originally developed for military purposes, was redesigned as a carrier rocket for the first artificial Earth satellite.
Rocket Launch: The images capture the moment of launch – an impressive sight with fire and smoke as the R-7 breaks through space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Sputnik 1 in Space: The spherical satellite model with four long antennas orbits the Earth. Sputnik broadcasts radio signals that can be received worldwide.

The Sputnik launch marked the beginning of the space age and triggered the Sputnik shock in the West. The United States was surprised by the technological superiority of the Soviet Union, which further fueled the space race between the superpowers.