3,2,1, Launch poof! The satellite goes soaring into space. The rocket breaks apart leaving behind only the satellite. The long awaited launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1, has been confirmed. A satellite is a man made object, put into space for the purpose of scientific research. The satellite is kept in orbit by little pushes given by things called thrusters. Without these thrusters, 1 degree off coarse and the rocket could plummet to the earth and be destroyed by either burning up in the earth's atmosphere or crashing. Isaac Newton m ....