Explorer 1 Satellite Launch

Launch of explorer 1 satellite.

Explorer 1 satellite launch.

Participation in the international geophysical year. The soviet union s sputnik 1 and 2 beginning the cold war space race between the two nations. The 1958 launch of the satellite twice the size of a basketball was an important moment for the country as the space race with the. Explorer i officially known as satellite 1958 alpha was the first united states earth satellite and was sent aloft as part of the united states program for.

Explorer 1 fast facts. Following the launch the spacecraft was given its official name explorer 1. In the following decades nearly a hundred spacecraft would be given the designation explorer the satellite continued to transmit data for about four months until its batteries were exhausted and it ceased operating on may 23 1958. Explorer 1 was launched on january 31 1958 at 22 48 eastern time atop the first juno booster from lc 26 at the cape canaveral missile annex in florida.

January 31 1958 launch. Explorer 1 was the united states first satellite in space. Explorer 1 became the first successfully launched satellite by the united states when it was sent to space on january 31 1958. The mission followed the first two satellites the previous year.

Explorer 1 was carried into orbit by a jupiter c rocket launched from cape canaveral florida at 10 48 p m. May 23 1958 signal ended when batteries ran out. In january 1958 the united states launched its first satellite from cape canaveral florida in response to the soviet union s launch of the sputnik satellite. It took a little over 90 minutes before the satellite s signal was tracked and mission leaders could confirm its success.

It was the first spacecraft to detect the va. A quick response to the soviet union s launch of sputnik 1 explorer 1 s success marked the beginning of the u s. Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the united states when it was sent into space on january 31 1958. March 31 1970 burned up on re entry over pacific ocean.

Army ballistic missile agency was directed to launch a satellite using its jupiter c rocket developed under the direction of dr.