The first man-made satellite launched into space was Sputnik 1. It was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. Weighing about 58 kilograms, Sputnik 1 was a spherical satellite equipped with four long antennae that transmitted radio pulses back to Earth. This launch marked the beginning of the space age and initiated the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Sputnik 1 orbited the Earth approximately every 96 minutes, providing valuable data about the upper atmosphere and paving the way for future space exploration and satellite development.