Sputnik III Organization: Soviet Union Major Contractors: Korolev Design Bureau Mission type: Earth Science Satellite Of: Earth Launch Date: May 15, 1958 at 07:12:00 UTC Launch Vehicle: modified R-7/SS-6 ICBM Decay: April 6, 1960 Mission Duration: 692 days NSSDC ID: 1958-004B Webpage: NASA NSSDC Master Catalog Mass: 1,327 kg Orbital elements Semimajor Axis: 7418.7 km Eccentricity: .110932 Inclination: 65.18° Orbital Period: 105.9 minutes Apoapsis: 1,864 km Periapsis: 217 km Orbits: ~10,000 edit

Instruments Upper Atmosphere : Composition of the upper atmosphere Geiger counters : Charged particles Micrometeoroid detectors : Micrometeoroids

Sputnik 3 (Russian: Спутник-3, Satellite 3) was a Soviet satellite launched on May 15, 1958 from Baikonur cosmodrome by a modified R-7/SS-6 ICBM. It was a research satellite to explore the upper atmosphere and the near space. Due to a hardware failure of its tape recorder, the satellite failed to detect the Van Allen radiation belt. Image File history File links Sputnik 3 diagram (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (also known as RKK Energiya) is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components. ... ... Earth (often referred to as The Earth) is the third planet in the solar system in terms of distance from the Sun, and the fifth in order of size. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with R-7 Semyorka. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... NASA logo The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is a department in NASAs Solar System Exploration Division. ... The elements of an orbit are the parameters needed to specify that orbit uniquely, given a model of two ideal masses obeying the Newtonian laws of motion and the inverse-square law of gravitational attraction. ... In astrodynamics, under standard assumptions any orbit must be of conic section shape. ... Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Soviet republics Area  - Total  - % water 1st before collapse 22,402,200 km² Approx. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map showing Baikonurs location in Kazakhstan. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with R-7 Semyorka. ... Van Allen radiation belts The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles ( a plasma) around Earth, trapped by Earths magnetic field. ...

In July 1956, the Soviet Union's OKB-1 drafted a project to design and build the first Earth satellite, designated ISZ (Artificial Earth Satellite). Sputnik 3 was planned to be the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union. The new R-7 intercontinental ballistic missile was ready to launch before Sputnik 3 was ready. The Sputnik 3 completion date kept slipping and Sergi Korolev substituted the relatively simple Sputnik 1 as the first satellite to be launched, instead. The Sputnik 2 was also ready earlier and launched earlier than Sputnik 3. Korolev was concerned that if he waited for Sputnik 3 to be ready, the United States would be the first to launch an artificial satellite. S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (also known as RKK Energiya) is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components. ... R-7 with Sputnik 2 The R-7 Semyorka was the worlds first intercontinental ballistic missile and was deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War from 1959 to 1968. ... A Minuteman III missile after a test launch. ... Sputnik 1 (Russian: , Satellite 1) was the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit, on October 4, 1957. ... Sputnik 2 (Russian: , Satellite 2) was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, on November 3, 1957, and the first to carry a living animal - a dog. ...

Sputnik 3 was an automatic scientific laboratory spacecraft. It was conically shaped and was 3.57 m long and 1.73 m wide at its base. It weighed 1,327 kg. The scientific instrumentation (twelve instruments) provided data on pressure and composition of the upper atmosphere, concentration of charged particles, photons in cosmic rays, heavy nuclei in cosmic rays, magnetic and electrostatic fields, and meteoric particles. The outer radiation belts of the Earth were detected during the flight. Its tape recorder failed, so it could not map the Van Allen radiation belt. The spacecraft remained in orbit until April 6, 1960, when the orbit degraded from drag in upper atmosphere to the point causing the satellite to enter the atmosphere. Layers of Atmosphere (NOAA) Air redirects here. ... In physics, a charged particle is a particle with an electric charge. ... In quantum physics, the photon (from Greek φως, phōs, meaning light) is the quantum of the electromagnetic field (light). ... Cosmic rays can loosely be defined as energetic particles originating outside of the Earth. ... A semi-accurate depiction of the helium atom. ... Current flowing through a wire produces a magnetic field (B, labeled M here) around the wire. ... In physics, an electric field or E-field is an effect produced by an electric charge (or a time-varying magnetic field) that exerts a force on charged objects in the field. ... Photo of a burst of meteors with extended exposure time A meteor is the visible path of a meteoroid that enters the Earths (or another bodys) atmosphere, commonly called a shooting star or falling star. ... Van Allen radiation belts The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles ( a plasma) around Earth, trapped by Earths magnetic field. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

See also

• Sputnik program
• modified R-7/SS-6 ICBM
• List of unmanned spacecraft by program

Sputnik 1 This metal arming key is the last remaining piece of the first Sputnik satellite. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with R-7 Semyorka. ... Here is an incomplete list of all unmanned spacecraft categorized by program. ...

External links

• NSSDC Master Catalog: Spacecraft Sputnik 3
• Sputnik 3 - Encyclopedia Astronautica