As a follow-up.
I'm amazed that the Soviet space pioneer, Sergei Korolev, never
adapted the R2 missile [36,000kgf thrust, 600 km range] into a satellite
launcher. The R2 was as good as the Redstone/Jupiters that Von Braun used
to launch America's first satellite into orbit in 1958.
The thing is, is the R2 was available as early as 1949-1950.
Imagine if Korolev had mounted the R2 with a cluster of Katyushas?
Or better still, with a hypergolic second-stage to put a one or maybe two-kilogram balloon-satellite into orbit in - 1951?
Jacob