Alaska-1 was a Soviet satellite launched in 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth and provided pictures of the Earth and nighttime views of cities during its months-long mission. The successful launch of Sputnik 1 marked the beginning of the Space Age and the Soviet Union's lead in the Space Race against the United States.

1. Pictures from Alaska-1 www.slideshare.net/gabrielvoiculescu