Sputnik 3 was launched by Soviet Russian in 1958. It was a sophisticated space lab carrying an array of instruments for cosmic research. It was originally designed to fly first but held back to allowing Russia to accelerate its first launch by preparing a smaller and simpler Sputnik. This third satellite served as a refined tool for astronomy, biology and physics.
The image above shows an engineering model c. 1958. It is an almost identical twin to the actual satellite and would have been used for ground tests before and during the mission.
The likeness to Dr Who’s most famous foe has not gone unnoticed!
