The momentarily famous Chinese spy balloon shortly before it was shot down over Surfside Beach, S.C., on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Debris falls from the sky after the spy balloon was shot down by an F22 ...

On any clear, dark night you can see them, gliding through the sky and reflecting sunlight from the other side of the world. Manmade satellites now orbit our planet by the thousands, and it’s hard to ...

Launching of the Russian satellite is man’s first successful attempt to navigate the ocean of space around the earth. Despite the chagrin of U.S. rocketmen, few disparaged the Russian achievement. In ...

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden gave the order to shoot down a balloon, termed a “weather balloon” by Chinese officials. Off the South Carolina coast, two F-22 fighter jets from Langley Air ...

While Sputnik’s steady stream of radio-signal beeps broadcast the Soviet’s early prowess in space exploration, the creation of the first man-made satellite had long remained a state secret. On the ...

MOSCOW — When Sputnik took off 50 years ago, the world gazed at the heavens in awe and apprehension, watching what seemed like the unveiling of a sustained Soviet effort to conquer space and score a ...

Americans certainly remember Sputnik. At a time when the world was larger and scarier, the Soviets had a metal basketball flying over the United States and the rest of the world. It made people ...

When the Soviets launched Sputnik into orbit on Oct. 4, 1957, their history-making accomplishment sparked a much-needed revolution in scientific... Sputnik Left Legacy for U.S. Science Education When ...

Fifty years ago this week, the Space Age began. On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched a 184-pound aluminum-alloy sphere into Earth's orbit. It was called PS-1, for "Prosteishiy Sputnik," or the ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. The launch of the Soviet satellite ...