What else could today's Image of the Day be other than Sputnik 1? This image, borrowed from NASA's Image of the Day, shows what is likely a replica of that first manmade satellite (perhaps the one hanging in the lobby of the United Nations building).

The actual silvery orb that the Soviet Union launched on October 4, 1957 – 50 years ago – fell back into Earth's atmosphere and burned up on January 4, 1958, having spent 92 days in space. The basketball-sized craft only transmitted actual data for the first 22 days of the flight, before its batteries failed.

A look around the SPACE.com website will reveal many articles and features detailing the history-making launch of Sputnik 1, and the many scientific breakthroughs and technical achievements it engendered.

Happy 50th anniversary, spaceflight! Many happy returns – all soft landings, of course.

--SPACE.com Staff

Credit:NASA