The first satellite was a beeping metal ball.

On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1: a polished sphere 58 centimetres across, weighing 83.6 kilograms, with four antennas. It circled Earth every 96 minutes and transmitted a beep for three weeks that radio amateurs heard worldwide. The USA responded by founding NASA in 1958 and the research agency ARPA.

Useful: A visible success by a rival often triggers more investment than any internal analysis.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Kalter kriegRaumfahrtTechnik

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