The first successful artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, launched on October 4, 1957, by the Soviet Union. This satellite marked the beginning of the space age and the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Sputnik 1 was a sphere about 58 centimeters in diameter, equipped with a radio transmitter that emitted beeps, which could be detected by ground stations. Its launch shocked the world and prompted a significant increase in investment in science and technology education in the U.S., leading to the establishment of NASA in 1958 and an intensified focus on space exploration.