The History of Sputnik

Sputnik wasn't just a beeping ball. This is very much an experimental satellite that was sent up for scientific purposes. The satellite reached orbit in 1957 and would remain functional for 22 days or take about 2 months for it to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. After 140 orbits, the drag from the small amount of air it came into contact with caused it to slow down and re-enter the earth's atmosphere. There are different types of radiation encountered in orbit that are normally blocked out by our atmosphere.