The first satellite launched into space was Sputnik in 1957. Sputnik was only a tiny metal ball. It wasn't until 1962 that the first satellite was placed in orbit that provided long term service to the Earth. That satellite was named Telstar. After those initial launches, the number of satellites and their complexity has continued to increase.
Today there are thousands of man-made objects orbiting the Earth.
If you go outside on a very clear night, there is a good chance you will see a bright light speed across the sky. That light was probably a satellite orbiting the Earth. Only two years after Sputnik they sent Luna 1 to the Moon. The first probe that went to another planet was Mariner 2 back in 1962. Mariner went to Venus.