Explorer 1 Satellite Launch

Launch of explorer 1 satellite.

Explorer 1 satellite launch.

Participation in the international geophysical year. 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. Explorer 1 was the united states first satellite in space.

Following the launch of the soviet union s sputnik 1 on october 4 1957 the u s. Following the launch the spacecraft was given its official name explorer 1. Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the united states and was part of the u s. 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.

January 31 1958 launch. A quick response to the soviet union s launch of sputnik 1 explorer 1 s success marked the beginning of the u s. It took a little over 90 minutes before the satellite s signal was tracked and mission leaders could confirm its success. The mission followed the first two satellites the previous year.

Explorer 1 fast facts. After two days of delays explorer 1 was launched atop a jupiter c rocket from cape canaveral florida on jan. 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. Explorer 1 was carried into orbit by a jupiter c rocket launched from cape canaveral florida at 10 48 p m.

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. 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 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.

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