Sputnik I's Last Days in Orbit

Observations during the last days of Sputnik I's orbiting are presented. These observations were made at The Ohio State University Radio Observatory using a simple CW reflection technique. The data suggest that the breakup of an artificial satellite upon its reentry into the denser atmosphere is a complex phenomenon in which a sequential series of events may occur over a period of days. Graphs of the average height of the satellite and its associated fragments as a function of time are presented, and some conclusions are drawn as to the details of the actual breakup phenomenon.