{"id":143380,"date":"2018-01-31T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-417713"},"modified":"2023-07-26T15:04:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T19:04:26","slug":"studying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/studying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft\/","title":{"rendered":"Studying the Van Allen Belts 60 Years After America\u2019s First Spacecraft"},"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-fit \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A black-and-white composite image with a model of the Explorer 1 spacecraft on the left, and a photo of three men holding the model on the right. The spacecraft is a classic long, slim, pencil-shaped rocket with a single conical engine at the back and slim antenna-like projections sticking out horizontally from the middle of the rocket. In the image on the left, it is posed in front of a stylized background depicting stars and galaxies. In the photo on the right, three men in suits smile broadly while holding the model over their heads. It takes all three to hold it up.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?resize=300,92 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?resize=768,236 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?resize=1024,315 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?resize=400,123 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?resize=600,184 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/explorer1-composite-banner-ubernode.jpg?resize=900,277 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This composite image shows a model of the Explorer 1 satellite (left) and a photo of a model of Explorer 1 being held up by (left to right) Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director William Pickering, James Van Allen, and Wernher von Braun at a late-night news conference announcing the launch of Explorer 1, held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Credit: NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Tick, tick, tick<\/em>. The device \u2014 a Geiger counter strapped to a miniature tape recorder \u2014 was registering radiation levels a thousand times greater than anyone expected. As the instrument moved higher, more than 900 miles above the surface, the counts ceased. Scientists were baffled. It was early 1958, the United States had just launched its first spacecraft, and a new discipline of physics was about to be born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixty years ago today, the United States launched its first satellite into space. Dubbed Explorer 1, the spacecraft followed just months after the Soviet Union\u2019s Sputnik 1 and 2 spacecraft commenced the Space Age. Data captured by the Geiger counter aboard Explorer 1 heralded the emergence of space physics and ushered in a new era of technology and communications. <\/p>\n\n\n<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-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1589\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"launch of Explorer 1\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=300,233 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=768,596 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=1024,794 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=1536,1191 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=2048,1589 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=400,310 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=600,465 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=900,698 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=1200,931 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?resize=2000,1551 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Explorer 1 launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Jan. 31, 1958.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\"><strong><em>Credit: NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center<\/em><\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Far above Earth\u2019s atmosphere, the radiation picked up by the instrument aboard Explorer 1 wasn\u2019t of Earthly origin. In fact, it was from a region scientists previously considered largely void of particles. Prior to launch, scientists expected to measure cosmic rays \u2014 high-energy particles primarily originating beyond the solar system \u2014 which they had previously studied with ground- and balloon-based instruments. But what they found far outpaced the levels of radiation that would be expected from cosmic rays alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The radiation recorded by Explorer 1 was humanity\u2019s first glimpse of Earth\u2019s radiation belts, two concentric rings of energetic particles surrounding the planet. The inner belt, composed predominantly of protons, and the outer belt, mostly electrons, would come to be named the Van Allen Belts, after James Van Allen, the scientist who led the charge designing the instruments and studying the radiation data from Explorer 1.<\/p>\n\n\n<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-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?w=1280\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"early schematic of Van Allen Belts' structure\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/historic_radiation_belts_orig.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This early schematic of the Van Allen Belts’ structure was created after the first American satellite discovered their existence in 1958.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\"><strong><em>Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center\/Historic image of Van Allen Belts courtesy of NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center<\/em><\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The outer belt is made up of billions of high-energy particles that originate from the Sun and become trapped in Earth\u2019s magnetic field, an area known as the magnetosphere. The inner belt results from interactions of cosmic rays with Earth\u2019s atmosphere. Satellites that unwittingly or intentionally venture into the belts can be damaged by the radiation, which could have an impact on unprotected astronauts as well. Understanding the dynamics of this region is essential for protecting technological assets and planning crewed space missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur current technology is ever more susceptible to these accelerated particles because even a single hit from a particle can upset our ever smaller instruments and electronics,\u201d said David Sibeck, Van Allen Probes mission scientist at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cAs technology advances, it\u2019s actually becoming even more pressing to understand and predict our space environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sixty years later, scientists are still working to understand the peculiar and puzzling nature of the Van Allen Belts. In 2012, NASA launched the twin <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/van-allen-probes\" rel=\"noopener\">Van Allen Probes<\/a> to study particle behavior in the dynamic region. Equipped with superior, radiation-hardened technology, the Van Allen Probes\u2019 instruments go far beyond Explorer 1\u2019s Geiger counter to observe particles, waves and fields in the radiation belts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe study the Van Allen radiation belts both for scientific reasons \u2014 to understand particle acceleration, which occurs through the universe \u2014 and practical reasons \u2014 because particles accelerated to high energies are a hazard to both astronauts and spacecraft,\u201d Sibeck said. \u201cAt Earth, we can study these details and apply that knowledge both to our journey to Mars and to better protect astronauts at the Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the beginning, the Van Allen Probes set a pace of rapid discovery. Within days of their launch, the probes found the void between the inner and outer belts \u2014 which was thought to be empty \u2014 was occupied by a third, temporary belt. The third belt lasted just a month, but appeared again later in the mission with major solar activity.<\/p>\n\n\n<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-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1006\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?w=1280\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"depiction of Earth's Van Allen Belts\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=300,236 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=768,604 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=1024,805 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=400,314 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=600,472 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=900,707 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/van_allen_probes_discov_new_rad_belt_cal.jpg?resize=1200,943 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Shortly after launch on Aug. 30, 2012, particle detection instruments aboard NASA’s twin Van Allen Probes revealed to scientists the existence of a new, transient, third radiation belt around Earth, shown in this image.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\"><strong><em>Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center\/Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory<\/em><\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Explorer 1\u2019s discoveries six decades ago paved the way for new generations of spacecraft to explore the radiation belts. Today, with the help of other missions, like the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemis\" rel=\"noopener\">THEMIS<\/a>, and Magnetospheric Multiscale, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/mms\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">MMS<\/a>, missions, NASA scientists are continually unveiling new secrets in our magnetic space neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Multipoint observations are essential to understanding the belts\u2019 dynamics and in 2016, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, launched the satellite Arase to cooperate with the Van Allen Probes mission in studying the radiation belts. A new CubeSat mission, the Compact Radiation Belt Explorer or CERES, is scheduled to launch in April 2018 to work in conjunction with the Van Allen Probes, studying the interactions between plasma waves and electrons in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t know what other discoveries are hidden in the radiation belts,\u201d said Shrikanth Kanekal, Van Allen Probes deputy mission scientist and CERES principal investigator at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. \u201cAs technology improves, who knows what we\u2019ll be able to find.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related<\/strong> <strong>Links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/rbsp\/mission\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Learn more about the Van Allen Probes<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/explorer\/explorer-overview.html\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Learn more about Explorer 1<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/sunearth\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Learn more about NASA\u2019s research on the Sun-Earth environment<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By <a href=\"mailto:mara.johnson-groh@nasa.gov\">Mara Johnson-Groh<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/goddard\">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?via=NASA&text=Studying%20the%20Van%20Allen%20Belts%2060%20Years%20After%20America%E2%80%99s%20First%20Spacecraft&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fsolar-system%2Fstudying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on X.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"1200\" height=\"1227\" viewBox=\"0 0 1200 1227\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M714.163 519.284L1160.89 0H1055.03L667.137 450.887L357.328 0H0L468.492 681.821L0 1226.37H105.866L515.491 750.218L842.672 1226.37H1200L714.137 519.284H714.163ZM569.165 687.828L521.697 619.934L144.011 79.6944H306.615L611.412 515.685L658.88 583.579L1055.08 1150.3H892.476L569.165 687.854V687.828Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fsolar-system%2Fstudying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fsolar-system%2Fstudying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Jul 26, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\"><div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2\"><h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2><\/div><ul class=\"article-tags\"><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/explorer-1\/\">Explorer<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/goddard\/\">Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/heliophysics\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Heliophysics<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/\">NASA History<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/\" rel=\"noopener\">The Solar System<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/van-allen-probes\" rel=\"noopener\">Van Allen Probes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tick, tick, tick. The device \u2014 a Geiger counter strapped to a miniature tape recorder \u2014 was registering radiation levels a thousand times greater than anyone expected. As the instrument moved higher, more than 900 miles above the surface, the counts ceased. Scientists were baffled. It was early 1958, the United States had just launched [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":152973,"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":[2715,2857,2837,2671,2658,2796],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[10596],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Studying the Van Allen Belts 60 Years After America\u2019s First Spacecraft","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/studying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/studying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jessica Evans"}],"creator":["Jessica Evans"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Van Allen Probes","Explorer","Goddard Space Flight Center","Heliophysics","NASA History","The Solar System"],"dateCreated":"2018-01-31T23:00:00Z","datePublished":"2018-01-31T23:00:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-26T19:04:26Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Studying the Van Allen Belts 60 Years After America\u2019s First Spacecraft\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/solar-system\/studying-the-van-allen-belts-60-years-after-americas-first-spacecraft\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2018-01-31T23:00:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Van Allen Probes,Explorer,Goddard Space Flight Center,Heliophysics,NASA History,The Solar System\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jessica Evans\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":5,"time_ago":"6 years","featured_image":{"id":152973,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0100075_orig.jpg","title":"JUPITER C #29 LIFTOFF JANUARY 31, 1959 REF: 59K-2325-6 (MIX FILE)","alt":"launch of Explorer 1","caption":"JUPITER C #29 LIFTOFF JANUARY 31, 1959 REF: 59K-2325-6 (MIX FILE)"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143380"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/140"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143380"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":303693,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143380\/revisions\/303693"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143380"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=143380"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=143380"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=143380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}