[FPSPACE] What happened to Sputnik 1*s payload fairing?

[Bart Hendrickx]

Erik Tronstadt wrote :


> >From what I understand the fairing was separated after Sputnik 1 and the
> core booster had entered orbit. Thus the fairing entered orbit, too.
> Does anyone know when it decayed?

The fairing has also been a matter of debate in recent days on the Russian
discussion forum of "Novosti kosmonavtiki" magazine. The thread is
appropriately called  "The first satellite was actually only the second
one", because strictly speaking the fairing entered orbit just ahead of
Sputnik itself. No one taking part in the thread has any knowledge of actual
observations of the fairing, although it should have been about as bright as
Sputnik itself. Because of its low mass, it must have re-entered much faster
than Sputnik did. I'm wondering if it was ever officially catalogued. The
"RAE Table of Earth Satellites 1957-1989" does list a "fragment" designated
1957alpha3 (alpha1 being the R-7 core stage and alpha2 Sputnik), but does
not add orbital parameters for the object. I'm not sure if it was added
based on actual observations or on announcements made by the Soviet press at
the time. As early as 9 October 1957 Pravda reported that apart from Sputnik
and the rocket body the nose fairing had also entered orbit.

Bart Hendrickx