Sputnik: Traveling Companion . ... Credit Copyright: Courtesy NASA History Office Explanation: Sputnik means "traveling companion". Despite the innocuous sounding name, the launch of the Earth's first "artificial moon", Sputnik 1 , by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957 shocked the free world, setting in motion events which resulted in the creation of NASA and the race to the Moon . ... Tomorrow's picture: Earth's Richat Structure . ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...