Satellites were first launched into space by the Soviet Union in the 20th century. The launch of their satellite “Sputnik 1” began a “Space Race” between nations. The United States and the Soviet Union (who were long time competitors) were vying to be seen as intellectually superior, as well as show off military, scientific, and technological prowess.
Satellites are artificial objects placed into space by humans for multiple purposes to such as observation, weather watching, communications, mapmaking, or photographing space- meant to help humans to understand space. These satellites are crucial to modern-day life, scientific understanding, and technological advances. The creation of satellites also led to the creation of rockets, the International Space Station, and launching humans successfully into space.