<human>:  Why was the first communication satellite called Sputnik?
<bot>: The name Sputnik comes from the Russian word for “traveling companion”. The first satellite was launched in 1957 and was called Sputnik 1. It was a 184 kg (408 lb) satellite with a diameter of 12.7 cm (5 in). It was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.