Yakov Alpert: Sputnik-1 and the first satellite ionospheric experiment

The world first scientific space experiment was carried out in 1957 during the flight of the First Artificial Earth Satellite (AES) – Sputnik-1. It was an ionospheric experiment performed at IZMIRAN under the direction of Prof. Ya.L. Alpert (1911–2010). The sunrise and sunset variations in the AES radio signal were recorded to determine the distribution of electron density in the topside ionosphere (above the maximum). The experiment demonstrated the capabilities of the satellite radio beacon method, which is now very important and widely used for studying the ionosphere. The paper describes the history and results of that experiment as well as the contribution of Ya.L. Alpert to ionospheric research. Ya.L. Alpert was one of the most famous and influential radiophysicists, the author of many fundamental studies and a number of classic books on the theory of propagation of electromagnetic waves, interaction of artificial bodies with ionospheric plasma, ionospheric radio scattering, and the use of satellite radio beacon methods for studying the ionosphere. We give in the paper some extracts from Ya.L. Alpert’s research notes. They include the history of the publication of the results from recordings of the Sputnik-1 transmitter signals, and described the method of data analysis. The first scientific publication based on Sputnik-1 data is given in the abbreviated summary. At the end of the paper there is an outline of Ya.L. Alpert’s scientific biography.