/2
Explorer 1 was the first successful satellite of the United States, launched on January 31, 1958. It is credited with the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belts, named for Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa, who designed the on-board instrumentation package enabling its detection.
The international scientific community had designated the 18-month period from July 1, 1957 to December 21, 1958 as the International Geophysical Year (IGY). Sixty-seven nations participated in astronomical and Earth-science research projects during the IGY. Although many discoveries and advancements were made, the IGY is most closely associated with the dawn of the Space Age, marked by the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The world's first artificial satellite broadcast an audible "beep beep" radio signal, announcing its successful orbit.
The launch of Sputnik 1 came as a shock to the United States, which was planning its own artificial satellite mission. The primary U.S. effort, Project Vanguard, was managed by the U.S. Navy. It was intended to be the world’s first satellite, but technical delays pushed the first launch to late 1957. On December 6, 1957, two months after Sputnik 1, Vanguard suffered a disastrous televised launch pad explosion.
Following this setback, the U.S. refocused its efforts on the earlier Explorer program proposed by the U.S. Army. Explorer 1 was designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while the Army Ballistic Missile Agency modified their Jupiter-C rocket to accommodate a satellite payload. Explorer 1 was ready for launch in 84 days. Before work was completed, however, the Soviet Union launched a second satellite, Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957. Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958, from Cape Canaveral Missile Annex, Florida into a 1,563 by 220 mile elliptical orbit. It circled the Earth until its destructive re-entry into the atmosphere on March 31, 1970.
Instrumentation on Explorer 1 consisted of a cosmic-ray detection package, an internal temperature sensor, three external temperature sensors, a nose-cone temperature sensor, a micrometeorite impact microphone, and a ring of micrometeorite erosion gauges. Data from these instruments were transmitted to the ground by radio.
The historical background of the Museum's Explorer 1 model is not known.
Explorer 1 was the first successful satellite of the United States, launched on January 31, 1958. It is credited with the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belts, named for Dr. James Van Allen of the University of Iowa, who designed the on-board instrumentation package enabling its detection.
The international scientific community had designated the 18-month period from July 1, 1957 to December 21, 1958 as the International Geophysical Year (IGY). Sixty-seven nations participated in astronomical and Earth-science research projects during the IGY. Although many discoveries and advancements were made, the IGY is most closely associated with the dawn of the Space Age, marked by the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The world's first artificial satellite broadcast an audible "beep beep" radio signal, announcing its successful orbit.
The launch of Sputnik 1 came as a shock to the United States, which was planning its own artificial satellite mission. The primary U.S. effort, Project Vanguard, was managed by the U.S. Navy. It was intended to be the world’s first satellite, but technical delays pushed the first launch to late 1957. On December 6, 1957, two months after Sputnik 1, Vanguard suffered a disastrous televised launch pad explosion.
Following this setback, the U.S. refocused its efforts on the earlier Explorer program proposed by the U.S. Army. Explorer 1 was designed and built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while the Army Ballistic Missile Agency modified their Jupiter-C rocket to accommodate a satellite payload. Explorer 1 was ready for launch in 84 days. Before work was completed, however, the Soviet Union launched a second satellite, Sputnik 2, on November 3, 1957. Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958, from Cape Canaveral Missile Annex, Florida into a 1,563 by 220 mile elliptical orbit. It circled the Earth until its destructive re-entry into the atmosphere on March 31, 1970.
Instrumentation on Explorer 1 consisted of a cosmic-ray detection package, an internal temperature sensor, three external temperature sensors, a nose-cone temperature sensor, a micrometeorite impact microphone, and a ring of micrometeorite erosion gauges. Data from these instruments were transmitted to the ground by radio.
The historical background of the Museum's Explorer 1 model is not known.
Now located in: APOLLO
