Sputnik, a Russian word meaning "companion" or "satellite", is a name applied to certain spacecraft launched under the Soviet space program. "Sputnik 1", "Sputnik 2" and "Sputnik 3" were the official Soviet names of those objects, while the remaining designations in the series ("Sputnik 4" and so on) were not official names, but were names applied in the West, to objects whose original Soviet names may not have been known at the time.
Latest from Copernical Team
- NASA astronauts arrive for Boeing's first human spaceflight
- China expands Space Station Program to include international astronauts
- China's Chang'e 7 lunar mission will host international instruments
- Chang'e 7 mission set for lunar south pole survey in 2026
- Japan's SLIM survives 3rd lunar night, surprising designers
- NASA Mars Analog Crew Approaches Mission Conclusion
- The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup
- China launches 3-member crew to its space station as it seeks to put astronauts on the moon by 2030
- First Ariane 6 booster gets lift to launch zone
- Young Professionals’ YPSat headed to Ariane 6