[9급 지방직 영어 2008년 16번]

Sputnik Ι, the first manmade object to orbit the earth, was launched on October 4, 1957. With its launch, the space race was officially begun! The satellite was not much more than a spider-like metal sphere with four external antennae. It contained no scientific instrument other than a small radio transmitter. But Sputnik Ι, whose name literally means 'traveler', was launched much to the disbelief and shock of the world. Bold claims were made by critics of the day who averred that Russian technology wasn't advanced enough to perform such a feat and therefore the project was a fake. However, those voices were quickly silenced when radio transmissions from the satellite were heard days later.