Twelve years before the historic Apollo 11 mission, the Soviets successfully launched the first artificial satellite called Sputnik into Earth's orbit.
VOA: standard.2009.07.16
Our scientists and technicians have succeeded in launching the first artificialsatellite aboard a multi-stage rocket into orbit.
And after the Soviet launch of Sputnik, the first artificialsatellite to orbit the Earth, the United States went about winning the Space Race by investing in science and technology, leading not only to small steps on the moon but also to tremendous economic benefits here on Earth.