The name of the first satellite launched into space is Sputnik 1. It was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. This historic event marked the beginning of the space age and the start of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Sputnik 1 was a spherical satellite, about 58 centimeters in diameter, and it transmitted radio pulses that could be received on Earth. Its successful launch not only demonstrated the USSR's advances in space technology but also prompted significant developments in science, education, and technology across the globe, leading to subsequent space exploration missions.