Ka tīmata te wā mokowā ki te whanaketanga o ngā hangarau maha i kōrerorero ki te whakarewatanga o te 4 o Oketopa 1957 o Sputnik 1 e te Soviet Union. Koinei te amiorangi waihanga tuatahi o te ao, e huri ana i te whenua i roto i te 98.1 meneti, me te taimaha 83 kg (183 lb). Ko te whakarewatanga o Sputnik 1 i uru ki roto i te wā hou o te tōrangapū, pūtaiao, me ngā whakatutukitanga hangarau i mohiotia rite te Space Age. I whakaahuatia te Space Age e te whanaketanga tere o te hangarau hou i roto i te whakataetae tata te nuinga i waenganui i te United States me te Soviet Union. I hanga tere i roto i rocketry, rauemi pūtaiao, rorohiko, me ētahi atu wāhi. He nui o te hangarau i whakawhanakehia i te tīmatanga mo ngā tono mokowā kua hurihia atu, me te kitea whakamahi atu mahara, he mea he tauira o tenei.
83 kg te rahi