Development of Satellite Studies within the Framework of the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958)

Within the framework of the International Geophysical Year research program (1957–1958), seven artificial Earth satellites were launched into near Earth orbits. It not only signified the program’s success but also laid the foundation for practical cosmonautics. At the same time, the advancement of rocket and space technology and the development of methods and means for exploring the Earth and nearearth space occurred in a situation of acute political confrontation between the USSR and the USA. This prevented the implementation of a systematic largescale scientific approach to space exploration but, on the other hand, enabled attracting the maximum possible resources for research, development and testing of equipment, which set an extremely high rate of development of the new scientific and technical industry. In pursuit of similar goals in the space race, countries worked towards these goals in different ways. This article provides a chronology of the two countries’ scientific and technical achievements in space exploration and research in 1957–1958, and draws conclusions about the role and significance of the satellite research program of the International Geophysical Year in the development of world cosmonautics.

Keywords

sputnik, history of rocket and space technology, space exploration, the first satellite

Received

30.09.2020

Publication date

23.12.2020

Number of characters

62081

Cite

GOST	Shcherbinin D. Development of Satellite Studies within the Framework of the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958) // Voprosy istorii estestvoznaniia i tekhniki – 2020. – V. 41. – 4 C. 692-716 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://vietmag.org/S020596060013010-3-1 (circulation date: 27.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S020596060013010-3
MLA	Shcherbinin, Dmitrii "Development of Satellite Studies within the Framework of the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958)." Voprosy istorii estestvoznaniia i tekhniki 41.4 (2020):692-716. DOI: 10.31857/S020596060013010-3
APA	Shcherbinin D. (2020). Development of Satellite Studies within the Framework of the International Geophysical Year (1957–1958). Voprosy istorii estestvoznaniia i tekhniki 41(4), pp.692-716 DOI: 10.31857/S020596060013010-3

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