R-7 Rocket Launch. The photographs document the historic launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, which marked the beginning of the space age.

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

The Sputnik launch marked the beginning of the space age and triggered “Sputnik shock” in the West. The United States was caught off guard by the Soviet Union’s technological superiority, further intensifying the space race between the superpowers.