Oct. 4, 1957 1 of 23    The Soviet Union launches the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. The successful launch of the basketball-sized object triggers the dawn of the space age and the U.S.-Soviet space race. Oct. 2, 1997 NewsHour Transcript: Historians recall the mood in the United States when Sputnik circled Earth.			Main: Return to Flight Making the Shuttle Fit to Fly Risks of Manned Spaceflight Next Generation Space Vessel Slide Show: Evolution of Spaceflight Interactive: Shuttle Upgrades Lesson Plan Archive
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