Sputnik at 60: The satellite explained

On 4 October 1957, a satellite called Sputnik 1 was launched into space.

It was the first man-made object to go into orbit around the Earth and it marked the start of the space race between America and the Soviet Union, which was a collection of Eastern European countries run by Russia.

Its job was to send 'messages' back to Earth via radio signals, which had never been done before.

Watch the video to find out more.