Sputnik 1

Спутник-1,
A space race begun.
It led to the Moon,
Hope Mars follows soon.

Sergei Korolev successfully suggested a Soviet satellite be built by,
Chief constructor Mikhail S. Khomyakov of OKB-1
(That's an Experimental Design Bureau to the likes of you and me.)
Imagine till it's quite clear, a 23 inch, shiny sphere,
Of aluminium-magnesium-titanium alloy.
Sealed within this case, three batteries were in place.
Wrapped about a one watt radio transmitter.
Four external antennae spread out like the non-motile cilia
Of some eukaryotic cell, formed an almost spherical radiation pattern.
Their design was lead by Mikhail V. Krayushkin, and the satellite's
Beeps would be broadcast, beautifully balanced in all directions.
Regardless of rotation the radio reception was remarkable.
For twenty one days, till batteries decayed:
Pulse:
Frequency 20.005 MHz for 0.3 of a second.
Pulse:
Frequency 40.002 MHz for 0.3 of a second.
Repeat.
Unless there was a problem, too hot or too cold, we had to be told,
And this was done by a change of duration.
Though it did boast a fan, and switches which worked to a plan
In order to maintain an even temperature.

Launched from Site Number 1 stroke 5, Kazakh SSR, in early October, 1957,
An R-7 Semyorka rocket took the small satellite, closer to heaven.
Disaster came close, an abortive explosion just one second away,
But instead, an elliptical low Earth orbit was accomplished.
Sputnik-1 was Earth's first artificial satellite, and history was made.
One orbit achieved, then Korolev called Nikita Khrushchev to confirm.
For three months it circled the earth, observed and tracked,
Delivering data on drag, and the ionosphere.
1,044 orbits of 96.2 minutes each, and then finally,
Falling to firey destruction. First and not forgotten.