R-7 rocket launch. The photos document the historic launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, which ushered in 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 departs 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, which further intensified the space race between the superpowers.