Explorer Missions
The Explorer program is the longest running series of NASA missions. Explorer spacecraft have studied the Sun, Moon, Earth and the environment of our solar system. Several of them are still in operation. The first in the series - Explorer 1 - was America's first satellite, a response to Russia's Sputnik 1 launch in 1957. The program continues today with mission oprations planned through 2009.
Explorer 1 - 1st satellite launched by US - Brief History of the Explorer 1 Mission
Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States when it was sent into space on January 31, 1958. Following the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency was directed to launch a satellite using its Jupiter C rocket developed under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun.
Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States when it was sent into space on January 31, 1958. Following the launch of the Soviet Union's Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency was directed to launch a satellite using its Jupiter C rocket developed under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun.