Ink | Pen | Paper

October 4(5), 2011 is the 54th Anniversary of the launch of the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1.

This is an account of how I simulated a re-enactment of the Sputnik 1 flight into earth orbit, on October 4(5), 1957. You can click on each picture below to view a larger image.

Before starting the simulation, I had to make sure time was synched between the simulator and the real world, here you can see UTC, Moscow, Baikonur, and local (Marawi) time...



...reason I wanted to simulate the event in real time is because I wanted to feel the anxiety that Korolev (chief designer, Soviet Space Program) must have felt while waiting for the Sputnik to complete one orbit of the earth. That note that says "03:20:30" is my cue when to exactly start the simulator so that it syncs perfectly with real time. Beside it are times in seconds, for the strapon booster release, and MECO.

5 minutes before launch...



Launch!



Here is a video clip of the real launch... R-7 ICBM Launching Sputnik-1 from Baikonur launch site - YouTube

24 engines pushing the R7 into the sky



Looking down, Baikonur landscape at night



Strap-on booster separation...bottom part pivots up as the main stack slows down...



...then vented gas from the top of the booster tumbles it below and away from the stack...

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3741/launch5.jpg

Now just 8 engines for the final push into low earth orbit.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6210/launch7.jpg

Orbit achieved! Just barely 5 minutes after liftoff!



Taking a look at orbital parameters to confirm that it matches the historical values...not 100% but very very close

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/2563/launch9.jpg

First Sputnik sunrise! This occurs over Northeastern Siberia.

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/7962/launch10.jpg

Passing the Hawaiian Islands, Sputnik flies over (part of) America.

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1536/launch11.jpg

Just sharing a cool shot of the earth and space...Sputnik is a microscopic speck in the middle of the screen. You can plainly see how much ocean the Pacific Ocean has



Took this shot after reaching apogee (highest point in orbit), somewhere over Tahiti.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/9705/launch13x.jpg

I originally planned to wait until Sputnik passed over the Moscow/Baikonur area, but was already too sleepy to wait another 45 minutes. So sorry, no photos of that event, which is would not have been much, because the area would still be shrouded in the darkness of night.

All this was accomplished using Orbiter, the free space flight simulator, which can be downloaded here:
Orbiter Space Flight Simulator

and an addon called "R-7 Early Missions", which can be downloaded here:
R-7 Early Missions :: Orbiter Addons by igel (Andrew Thielmann)


Re-living glorious moments in spaceflight history

-RODION