Blasting Off

Science helped us reach our goal again. A rocket built in Russia carried the first satellite into space. It was called Sputnik. Sputnik is the Russian word for “traveler.”

Sputnik was the first satellite launched into space.

Then American scientists made a decision. They wanted to land a person on the moon. A rocket would need a lot of power to get all the way to the moon and back. Could they build a rocket engine powerful enough to make the trip?

Scientists use satellites like Sputnik to learn about space.