To mark the 60-th anniversary of the first artificial Earth satellite (Sputnik), the Rocket and Space Corporation Energia is going to put its full-scale mockup on display at the aerospace show MAKS-2017.

The full-scale mockup of the world’s first spacecraft PS-1 will have pride of place among other exhibits at the booth of the Corporation, being the symbol of the greatest triumph of our country’s science and technology.

MAKS-2017 is to be held July 18 through 23, 2017, at Zhukovsky near Moscow.

ROSCOSMOS proclaimed 2017 as the Year of the First Satellite. October 4 will see the 60th anniversary of the start of humankind’s Space Age  – on that day in 1957, on the initiative of Sergei Korolev, an R-7 rocket launched the first artificial Earth satellite.

The simplest satellite Number One (Sputnik) was a spherical container 58 cm in diameter. Its body consisted of two half-shells. Attached to the upper shell were two whip antennas and a spring mechanism to angle the antennas out through 35 degrees. Installed inside was a 1 W radio transmitter, sending signals 0.4 seconds long on wavelengths 7.5 and 15 m. The power supply unit consisted of three batteries designed to provide two weeks of uninterrupted transmitter operation. Also installed inside the satellite were a remote switch, a thermal control system fan, dual thermal switch and control thermal and barometric switches. The total mass of the first satellite was 83.6 kg. It stayed in orbit till January 4, 1958, having completed 1440 orbits around Earth in the 92 days.

The flight of the first artificial satellite drew a wide response throughout the world. The signals it transmitted – the legendary “Beep! Beep!” – were received all over the globe even by ham radios. For the first time the scientists could study the upper layers of the ionosphere and conduct other important studies needed to launch into orbit the first manned spacecraft.