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(2007-10-04)
MOSCOW
(Associated Press) -
It was 50 years ago today that the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was launched by the Soviet Union, marking the start of the Space Age and sparking the race to get a man on the moon.
Engineers, military officials and former cosmonauts have gathered outside Moscow to remember the launch of the 184-pound metal ball that beeped as it circled the globe for 22 days.
The success of the Sputnik stunned the world, which, four years later, got to see the first human launched into space, also a Russian.
The Soviets' success galvanized Washington to pour money into space research and technology. And 12 years later, the U.S. put a man on the moon.
© Copyright 2012, Associated Press
