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Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States in 1958 and was part of the U.S. participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The mission followed the first two satellites, both launched by the Soviet Union during the previous year, Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2.
Mar 18, 2015 · Explorer 1 revolved around Earth in a looping orbit that took it as close as 354 kilometers (220 miles) to Earth and as far as 2,515 kilometers (1,563 miles). It made one orbit every 114.8 minutes, or a total of 12.54 orbits per day.
Jul 25, 2023 · Explorer 1. Occurred 66 years ago. In the mid-1950s the Cold War was running hot. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. each sought to gain an edge over the other with new technologies and weapons developed during World War II and in the burgeoning Atomic Age.
Jan 29, 2018 · Explorer 1: The First U.S. Science Robot. On Jan. 31, 1958, the United States sent Explorer 1, its first satellite, into space. The spacecraft was small enough to be held triumphantly overhead. It orbited Earth from as far as 1,594 miles (2,565 km) above, and made the first U.S. scientific discovery in space. 2. Why It’s Important.
Explorer 1 orbited Earth approximately every 114.8 minutes, making 12.54 orbits each day. Explorer 1 stopped transmitting when its batteries ran out on May 23, 1958, although it stayed in orbit until March 31, 1970, completing 58,376 orbits.
Jan 19, 2018 · On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union surprised the world with the launch of a 23-inch-diameter, 184-pound ball designated Sputnik 1, the world’s first.
Explorer 1 became the first successfully launched satellite by the United States when it was sent to space on January 31, 1958. A quick response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik 1, Explorer 1's success marked the beginning of the U.S. Space Age.
Discover More. Explorer 1 was equipped with a modified Geiger counter to measure the charged particles surrounding Earth, and its radio transmitters relayed the data to receiving stations. Explorer 1 transmitted data until May 23, 1958, when its batteries died.
Jan 23, 2018 · Explorer 1 re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up on March 31, 1970, after more than 58,000 orbits. For more information about Explorer 1 and the 60 years of U.S. space exploration that have followed it, visit: https://explorer1.jpl.nasa.gov
Sep 29, 2020 · Explorer 1 was the United States' first satellite in space. The 1958 launch of the satellite — twice the size of a basketball — was an important moment for the country, as the Space...
