Countries and Their First Satellites
The launch of the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 satellite on October 4, 1957, marked the beginning of the Space Age. Sputnik 1 was a small, 58-centimeter-diameter aluminum sphere that weighed 83.6 kilograms. It contained four radio antennas and batteries, and it orbited the Earth every 96 minutes. Sputnik’s launch was a major technological achievement, and it came as a shock to many people in the United States, who had hoped that their country would be the first to launch a satellite.
The United States responded to Sputnik’s launch by launching its own satellite, Explorer 1, on January 31, 1958. Explorer 1 was the first satellite to detect the Van Allen radiation belts, which are two regions of high-energy particles that surround the Earth.
In the years since the launch of Sputnik 1, many countries have launched their own satellites. Here is a list of countries and their first satellites:
| Country | Satellite | Date (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union | Sputnik 1 | 4 October 1957 |
| United States | Explorer 1 | 1 February 1958 |
| United Kingdom | Ariel 1 | 26 April 1962 |
| Canada | Alouette 1 | 29 September 1962 |
| Italy | San Marco 1 | 15 December 1964 |
| France | Astérix | 26 November 1965 |
| Australia | WRESAT | 29 November 1967 |
| 10 European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom) | ESRO 2B | 17 May 1968 |
| West Germany | Azur | 8 November 1969 |
| Japan | Ohsumi | 11 February 1970 |
| People’s Republic of China | Dongfanghong I | 24 April 1970 |
| Netherlands | ANS | 23 September 1972 |
| India | Aryabhata | 19 April 1975 |
| Brazil | SCD-1 | 22 December 1975 |
| Indonesia | Palapa A1 | 10 July 1976 |
| Iran | Sina-1 | 2 July 2005 |
| Israel | Ofek 1 | 19 September 1988 |
| Mexico | Morelos 1 | 13 September 1985 |
| Nigeria | NigeriaSat-1 | 27 September 2003 |
| Pakistan | Badr-1 | 11 August 1998 |
| South Africa | RSA-1 | 20 November 1999 |
| Spain | Minisat-1 | 29 October 1995 |
| Sweden | Freja | 17 August 1992 |
| Turkey | Turksat-1A | 26 August 1996 |
| United Arab Emirates | KhalifaSat | 29 October 2018 |
| Venezuela | Venesat-1 | 20 August 2008 |
This list is not exhaustive, and there are many other countries that have launched satellites. The launch of satellites has had a profound impact on society. Satellites are used for a variety of purposes, including communication, navigation, weather forecasting, and scientific research. They have also played a major role in the development of the global economy.
