04.10.02. Baikonur celebrates the anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to be launched into orbit. This historic launch took place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in what is now Kazakhstan, at 22:28 Moscow time on 4 October 1957. Preparations are now under way at Baikonur for the launch of ESA's Integral satellite on 17.10.02.