World's 1st satellite was the size of a beach ball

The World's first artificial satellite Sputnik I, launched by USSR 59 years ago on October 4, 1957, was about the size of a beach ball, measuring 58 centimetres in diameter. Carrying a radio transmitter, the satellite transmitted a signal to Earth for 23 days. Amid the cold war between US and USSR, Sputnik's launch directly led to NASA's foundation.