Explorer 1 first U.S. scientific satellite spacecraft family
Explorer 1 was the first successful U.S. satellite, launched January 31, 1958. Its cosmic-ray detector provided the first U.S. scientific discovery in space by revealing the Van Allen radiation belts; the satellite stopped transmitting in May 1958 and remained in orbit until reentry in 1970.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Explorer 1Explorer IJupiter-C Explorer 11958 Alpha 1Explorer 1 spacecraft
- Family Name
- Explorer 1
- Full Name
- Explorer 1 first U.S. scientific satellite spacecraft family
- Roles
- orbiterobservatoryresearch
- Status
- retired
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Explorer 1 was the first successful U.S. satellite, launched January 31, 1958. Its cosmic-ray detector provided the first U.S. scientific discovery in space by revealing the Van Allen radiation belts; the satellite stopped transmitting in May 1958 and remained in orbit until reentry in 1970.
- First Flight Year
- 1,958
- Last Flight Year
- 1,970
- Operator
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/explorer-1/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 12:41:22 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 14, 2026 at 14:44:15 UTC