The sphere was quite simple and aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, this shape provided uniform illumination from all sides. Consequently, such a satellite was easier to spot in space. In reality, it doesn’t matter whether a satellite is square or spherical.

To reveal a secret, the satellite that was supposed to be launched first was actually the third one. It was a huge, heavy, cone-shaped satellite equipped with numerous scientific instruments.

However, the scientific instruments were not ready for the launch date, so it was decided to launch the spherical satellite PS-1 first. This occurred on October 4, 1957. PS-1 spent approximately three months in space before burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere. This marked the beginning of a new era — the era of space exploration.

Since then, humans have launched thousands of satellites into space to study our planet and the universe.