{"id":265148,"date":"2008-01-07T14:09:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-07T18:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-345285"},"modified":"2023-07-25T11:23:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T15:23:48","slug":"explorer-1-fast-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/explorer\/explorer-1-fast-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Explorer 1 Fast Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"945\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Explorer 1, Then & Now: Celebrating 60 Years of Innovation, From Explorer 1 to Today\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 95% 18%; object-position: 95% 18%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png 2276w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=300,138 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=768,354 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=1024,472 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=1536,709 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=2048,945 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=400,185 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=600,277 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=900,415 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=1200,554 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/edu_srch_explorer1_then_now.png?resize=2000,923 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Launch and Orbit<\/strong><br>\nJanuary 31, 1958 \u2013 Launch<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May 23, 1958 \u2013 Signal ended when batteries ran out<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>March 31, 1970 \u2013 Burned up on re-entry over Pacific Ocean<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Orbited Earth once every 114.8 minutes after launch, or 12.54 orbits per day<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Completed 58,000 orbits times before returning to Earth in March 1970<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Orbit path took it as close as 354 kilometers (220 miles) to Earth and as far as 2,515 kilometers (1,563 miles) from Earth<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Science Experiments<\/strong><br>\nCosmic Ray Package \u2013 A Geiger counter that measured charged particles<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Micrometeorite Microphone and Erosion Gauges \u2013 Measuring devices that detected hits from micrometeorites, or tiny meteorites<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spacecraft Dimensions (not including rocket)<br>\nLength: 203 centimeters (80 inches)<br>\nWidth: 15.9 centimeters (6.25 inches) in diameter<br>\nWeight: 14 kilograms (30.66 pounds)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pre-Explorer Milestones<\/strong><br>\nFebruary 24, 1949 \u2013 The first craft in space, nicknamed the \u201cBumper WAC,\u201d reached an altitude of 244 miles. The Bumper WAC teamed researchers at the newly named Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., with German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and his group of researchers, who surrendered to the U.S. at the end of World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>October 4, 1957- The Soviet Union successfully launched the world\u2019s first satellite, Sputnik I, into orbit around the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>November 3, 1957- The Soviets successfully launch the larger satellite Sputnik II into orbit around the Earth. A dog named Laika onboard Sputnik II became Earth\u2019s first space traveler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>December 6, 1957- The Navy\u2019s Vanguard, the first U.S. attempt to launch an Earth-orbiting satellite, rose a few feet above the ground but then fell back to Earth and burst into flames. On March 17, 1958, the Navy successfully launched Vanguard 1. It remains in orbit today as the oldest human-made object in space.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Launch and Orbit January 31, 1958 \u2013 Launch May 23, 1958 \u2013 Signal ended when batteries ran out March 31, 1970 \u2013 Burned up on re-entry over Pacific Ocean Orbited Earth once every 114.8 minutes after launch, or 12.54 orbits per day Completed 58,000 orbits times before returning to Earth in March 1970 Orbit path […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":202470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2715],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Explorer 1 Fast Facts","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/explorer\/explorer-1-fast-facts\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/explorer\/explorer-1-fast-facts\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA04601\/PIA04601~orig.jpg?w=1867&h=2353&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA04601\/PIA04601~orig.jpg?w=1867&h=2353&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NASA"}],"creator":["NASA"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Explorer"],"dateCreated":"2008-01-07T18:09:00Z","datePublished":"2008-01-07T18:09:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-25T15:23:48Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Explorer 1 Fast Facts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/explorer\/explorer-1-fast-facts\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA04601\/PIA04601~orig.jpg?w=1867&h=2353&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2008-01-07T18:09:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Explorer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"NASA\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":2,"time_ago":"16 years","featured_image":{"id":202470,"file":"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/PIA04601\/PIA04601~orig.jpg","title":"Explorer 1","alt":"America's first satellite, Explorer 1. America joined the space race with the launch of this small, but important spacecraft.","caption":"America first satellite, Explorer 1. 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