Aryabhata: 1st Indian Satellite in Space

Aryabhata

The Aryabhata, named after the famous Indian astronomer , was India's first satellite. It was completely designed and fabricated in India and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Year on April 19, 1976. It was built by ISRO.

It was build to conduct experiment s in X-ray astronomy, aeromics and solar physics. The spacecraft was a26-sided polyhedron, 1.4 m (4.6 ft) in diameter. All faces (expect top and bottom) were covered with solar cells. The satellite remain we active till March 1981. Due to orbital decay the satellite Earth's atmosphere on 11th February, 1992.

Mission type: Astrophysics

Operator: ISRO

Launch weight: 360 kg 

Rocket: Kosmos-3M

Refence system: Geocentric

Regime: Low Earth Orbit

Perigee altitude: 563 km

Apogee altitude: 619 km

Period: 96.46 minutes

Sputnik 1: World's 1st Artificial Satellite

Sputnik 1

It's full name is Proteyshiy Sputnik-1 or Elementary Satellite 1.

Sputnik 1 was the 1st artifical earth satellite. The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low earth orbit on 4th October 1957, orbiting for three weeks before it's batteries died, then after two months it fall back into the atmosphere.

It was a 58 cm ( 23 in) diameter metal sphere, with four external radio antennas to broadcast radio pulses. The launch of this satellite causes the Sputnik crisis and triggered the Space Race. The launch was the beginning of a new era of political, military, technology and scientific development. 

Mission type: Technology Demonstration

Operator: OKB-1 (RSC Energia)

Manufacturer: OKB-1

Launch mass: 83.6 kg

Launch date: 4th October 1957

Rocket: Sputnik 8K71PS

Launch site: Baikonur 1/5

Mission duration: 21 days

Refence system: Geocentric

Regime: Low Earth Orbit

Semi-major axis: 6,955 km

Perigee altitude: 215 km

Apogee altitude: 934 km

Period: 96.2 minutes