{"id":97058,"date":"2018-01-19T14:16:45","date_gmt":"2018-01-19T19:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-417035"},"modified":"2023-08-21T12:16:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T16:16:02","slug":"story-of-explorer-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/story-of-explorer-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Story of Explorer 1"},"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-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1624\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?w=1624\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Explorer I satellite installed atop the Jupiter-C launch vehicle. \" 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\/0401524orig.jpg 2379w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=238,300 238w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=768,968 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=812,1024 812w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=1218,1536 1218w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=1624,2048 1624w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=317,400 317w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=476,600 476w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=714,900 714w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=952,1200 952w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?resize=1586,2000 1586w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1624px) 100vw, 1624px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Explorer I satellite installed atop the Jupiter-C launch vehicle.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union surprised the world with the launch of a 23-inch-diameter, 184-pound ball designated Sputnik 1, the world\u2019s first artificial satellite. For many in the United States, this news came as a profound shock and produced a considerable crisis of confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The news hit especially hard in Huntsville. Dr. Eberhard Rees, who would later become Marshall Space Flight Center\u2019s second center director, recalled how he learned about Sputnik on the evening of October 4. Both he and Dr. Wernher von Braun decided to remain after work in their ABMA offices that evening. Neither saw the need to go home since both had already planned to attend a reception on Redstone Arsenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVon Braun came over to my office and said he\u2019d just got a telephone call of a report of the Russians,\u201d Rees recalled. Rees also recalled how Von Braun carried news regarding Sputnik with him to the reception later that evening where Maj. Gen. John Medaris, commandant of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, was hosting Neil Hosier McElroy, who in a few days would be succeeding then Secretary of Defense Charlie Wilson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Armed with the news about Sputnik, Von Braun decided to use the reception as an opportunity to impress on McElroy ABMA\u2019s readiness and willingness to use the Jupiter-C to place America\u2019s first satellite in orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peter T. Chew, writing in the <em>National Observer<\/em> five years after the event, recounted von Braun\u2019s comments to McElroy at the reception: \u201cMr. Secretary. When you get back to Washington, you\u2019ll find that all hell has broken loose. We can put up a satellite in 60 days\u2014once you give us the go-ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>General Medaris interjected: \u201cMake it 90 days, Wernher.\u201d<\/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\/5700940orig.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1528\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Jupiter-C Missile No. 27 assembly at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama. \" 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\/5700940orig.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=300,224 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=768,573 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=1024,764 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=1536,1146 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=2048,1528 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=400,298 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=600,448 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=900,671 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=1200,895 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/5700940orig.jpg?resize=2000,1492 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\">Jupiter-C Missile No. 27 assembly at the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA), Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay, make it 90 days.\u201d said Von Braun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Referring to the confidence he and others at ABMA had regarding Jupiter-C, Rees stated that, \u201cWe could have beaten the Russians easy by half a year or so.\u201d Like Dr. Rees, most Americans had assured themselves of a perceived scientific and technological superiority over its Cold War enemy. With their confidence shattered by the success of Sputnik, Americans demanded a response to restore the balance of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in Huntsville, the Army\u2019s rocket team lead by Major General John B. Medaris and Dr. Wernher von Braun argued that their own Jupiter-C (Juno I) rocket was capable of that response. But it was the launch of the 12-pound Sputnik 2 carrying dog \u201cLaika\u201d in late 1957 and the public failure of the Navy\u2019s Project Vanguard launch on December 6, 1957 that compelled the Department of Defense to turn to the Army for an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in 1954, the Army had proposed the use of the Redstone to launch an Earth-orbiting satellite as part of Project Orbiter. Despite the decision to go with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) proposed Project Vanguard, Dr. Wernher von Braun and his fellow ABMA rocket scientists in Huntsville continued to expand the Redstone into the modified Jupiter-C version, fired for the first time in September 1956. The ABMA group quietly placed the hardware in storage, maintaining it at a high state of readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a February 1972 letter to von Braun, Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger remembered the time leading up to the launch of Explorer I when a \u201cdistinguished gentleman\u201d from Washington visited Redstone to discuss the status of the rocket program. During the visit, the visitor issued a stern warning to the team saying, \u201cWernher, now listen. There is much talk about satellites these days. Satellites are not for you! I want you to keep your hands off. Do you hear me?\u201d Stuhlinger then recalled a latter \u201cdesperate telegram\u201d from the same visitor asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan you launch a satellite quickly?\u201d It so happened you could. Following your own built in guidance system, supported by good friends who shared your enthusiasm, you had been working on that satellite and its four-stage rocket already for a year, and you were prepared to put it in orbit when it was needed.\u201d<\/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\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"1249\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Jupiter-C launch vehicle shortly before the January 31, 1958 launch of America's first satellite, Explorer I. \" 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\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=250,300 250w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=768,921 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=853,1024 853w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=333,400 333w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=500,600 500w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=750,900 750w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9801800_1041x1249.jpg?resize=1000,1200 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Jupiter-C launch vehicle shortly before the January 31, 1958 launch of America’s first satellite, Explorer I.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>To accomplish the mission, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) teamed with Dr. William H. Pickering, the Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California and Dr. James van Allen of the University of Iowa, whose \u201cProposal for Cosmic Ray Observations in Earth Satellites\u201d was configured for both the Vanguard and Jupiter-C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 10:48pm on January 31, 1958, the Jupiter-C (Juno 1) lifted off from Cape Canaveral and successfully deployed Explorer I. Von Braun was not in the blockhouse at Cape Canaveral. Instead, he had travelled to Washington, D.C. to be with Pickering and van Allen for a press conference on what they hoped would be a successful mission. But in a letter to his father two days later, the Marshall Center Director expressed his remorse at not being at the launch saying, \u201cWhen one has worked for 28 years on such a thing and now expects the culmination, it was a fairly bitter pill.\u201d<sup><a href=\"#ftn1\">1<\/a><\/sup> <\/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\/9248170orig.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Front page of the February 1, 1958 issue of the Huntsville Times. \" 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\/9248170orig.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=300,231 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=768,591 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=1024,788 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=1536,1182 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=2048,1576 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=400,308 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=600,462 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=900,692 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=1200,923 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/9248170orig.jpg?resize=2000,1539 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\">Front page of the February 1, 1958 issue of the Huntsville Times.<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>One hundred and eight minutes after launch, JPL\u2019s Frank Goddard confirmed Explorer I\u2019s successful orbit saying, \u201cWe\u2019ve got the bird.\u201d At 2:00am, von Braun, Pickering, and van Allen attended the press conference and photo event at the National Academy of Science. The next morning, the headline in the Huntsville Times read, \u201cJupiter-C Puts Up Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explorer I relayed information from space to Earth stations until May 23, 1958, when its batteries were exhausted. It continued to orbit for several years before finally reentering the Earth\u2019s atmosphere on March 31,1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is easy to forget the rationale behind the launching of orbiting satellites. Explorer I and Sputnik were both part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), an international effort at scientific cooperation that by the end of 1958 included 67 countries. Dr. Van Allen\u2019s instrument, a simple cosmic ray detector, designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth orbit, initiated the discovery of the surrounding belts of charged particles held in place by the Earth\u2019s magnetic field, today known as the Van Allen radiation belts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the day the satellite disintegrated upon reentry into the Earth\u2019s atmosphere, Dr. van Allen declared its success to be \u201cone of the landmarks in the technical and scientific history of the human race.\u201d The satellite had indeed \u201crevealed the existence of radiation belts around the Earth and opened a massive new field of scientific exploration in space\u201d and \u201cinspired an entire generation of young men and women in the United States to higher achievement and propelled the Western World into the Space Age.\u201d<sup><a href=\"#ftn2\">2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, NASA is developing the Space Launch System (SLS), a powerful, advanced launch vehicle that is to be the enabling technology for our national goal of deep space exploration. With its unprecedented power and capabilities, SLS will launch crews of up to four astronauts in the agency\u2019s Orion spacecraft on missions to explore multiple, deep-space destinations. Standing on the foundations laid by Explorer I in the initial foray into space, SLS seeks to open a new era of deep space exploration and scientific discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Footnotes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ftn1\">[1] Quoted in Mike Neufeld<em>, Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War, <\/em>New York: Knopf, 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"ftn2\">[2] Quoted in \u201cExplorer\u2019s Legacy\u201d at the University of Iowa Library, <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/explorer.lib.uiowa.edu\/\">http:\/\/explorer.lib.uiowa.edu\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bibliography<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Bille, Matthew A. and Erika Lishock. <em>The First Space Race: Launching the World\u2019s First Satellites. <\/em>College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dickson, Paul. <em>Sputnik: The Launch of the Space Race. <\/em>Toronto: MacFarlane Walter & Ross, 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Foerstner, Abigail. <em>James Van Allen: The First Eight Billion Miles. <\/em>Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Green, Constance M. and Milton Lomask. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sp-4202.pdf?emrc=e97ad5\">Vanguard: A History.<\/a> <\/em>Washington, D.C.: NASA Historical Series, 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McDonald, Frank and John E. Naugle. \u201cDiscovering Earth\u2019s Radiation Belts: Remembering Explorer 1 and 3.\u201d <em>EOS <\/em>Vol. 39:23 (23 September 2008) 361-376.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mieczkowski, Yanek. <em>Eisenhower\u2019s Sputnik Moment: The Race for Space and World Prestige. <\/em>Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mudgway, Douglas J. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/sp-4113.pdf?emrc=88576d\">William H. Pickering, America\u2019s Deep Space Pioneer. <\/a><\/em>Washington, D.C.: NASA Historical Series, 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Neufeld, Michael J. <em>Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War. <\/em>New York: Knopf, 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/marshall\/nasa-announces-winners-of-2024-student-launch-competition\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" 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\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/sl24.jpg?resize=2000,1334 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">4 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA Announces Winners of 2024 Student Launch Competition<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 day ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/earth\/natural-disasters\/nasa-announces-new-system-to-aid-disaster-response\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" src=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/prturkiyeeq-020624a.jpg\" ><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">4 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">NASA Announces New System to Aid Disaster Response<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p-md color-carbon-60\">In early May, widespread flooding and landslides occurred in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande...<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/flag-day-2024-one-small-flags-incredible-journey\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" 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\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=900,675 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">7 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Flag Day 2024 \u2013 One Small Flag\u2019s Incredible Journey<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union surprised the world with the launch of a 23-inch-diameter, 184-pound ball designated Sputnik 1, the world\u2019s first artificial satellite. For many in the United States, this news came as a profound shock and produced a considerable crisis of confidence. The news hit especially hard in Huntsville. Dr. Eberhard [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":111799,"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":[2715,2864,2671],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Story of Explorer 1","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/story-of-explorer-1\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/story-of-explorer-1\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Brian C. Odom"}],"creator":["Brian C. Odom"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA History","Explorer","Marshall Space Flight Center"],"dateCreated":"2018-01-19T19:16:45Z","datePublished":"2018-01-19T19:16:45Z","dateModified":"2023-08-21T16:16:02Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Story of Explorer 1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/story-of-explorer-1\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2018-01-19T19:16:45Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA History,Explorer,Marshall Space Flight Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Brian C. Odom\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":7,"time_ago":"6 years","featured_image":{"id":111799,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/0401524orig.jpg","title":"EXPLORER-1\/SATELLITE\/JUPITER-C.","alt":"Explorer I satellite installed atop the Jupiter-C launch vehicle.","caption":"EXPLORER-1\/SATELLITE\/JUPITER-C."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97058"}],"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\/159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97058"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":317354,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97058\/revisions\/317354"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97058"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=97058"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=97058"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=97058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}