Explorer 18 IMP-A first Interplanetary Monitoring Platform spacecraft family
Explorer 18 was NASA’s first Interplanetary Monitoring Platform, launched November 26, 1963 into a highly elliptical Earth orbit. Its instruments measured cosmic rays, solar wind, plasma, and magnetic fields beyond Earth’s magnetic field in interplanetary and distant magnetospheric space.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Explorer 18Explorer XVIIIIMP-AIMP-1Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-1
- Family Name
- Explorer 18
- Full Name
- Explorer 18 IMP-A first Interplanetary Monitoring Platform spacecraft family
- Roles
- orbiterinterplanetary_probeobservatoryresearch
- Status
- retired
- Type
- spacecraft
Details
- Description
- Explorer 18 was NASA’s first Interplanetary Monitoring Platform, launched November 26, 1963 into a highly elliptical Earth orbit. Its instruments measured cosmic rays, solar wind, plasma, and magnetic fields beyond Earth’s magnetic field in interplanetary and distant magnetospheric space.
- First Flight Year
- 1,963
- Last Flight Year
- 1,963
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 13, 2026 at 13:05:04 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 13, 2026 at 13:05:04 UTC