Robby
02-01-2008, 05:42 AM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0802/exp1Launch_msfc_c22.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0802/exp1Launch_msfc_f.jpg)
The First Explorer
Credit: Courtesy of Marshall Space Flight Center (http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html)
Explanation: Fifty years ago (on January 31, 1958) the First Explorer (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/), was launched into Earth orbit (http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/explorer/ welcome.html) by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. Inaugurating the era of space exploration for the United States, Explorer I (http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/expinfo.html) was a thirty pound satellite that carried instruments to measure temperatures, and micrometeorite impacts, along with an experiment designed by James A. Van Allen (http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/vanallen.html) to measure the density of electrons and ions in space. The measurements made by Van Allen's experiment led to an unexpected and startling discovery (http://www.phy6.org/Education/wexp13.html) -- an earth-encircling belt of high energy electrons and ions trapped in the magnetosphere (http://www.phy6.org/Education/Intro.html) now known as the Van Allen Radiation Belt (http://www.phy6.org/Education/wradbelt.html). Explorer I ceased transmitting on February 28, 1958, but remained in orbit until March of 1970. Pioneering space scientist James Van Allen (http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/features/ james_van_allen.html) died on August 9th, 2006 at the age of 91.
(Via NASA) (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080201.html)
The First Explorer
Credit: Courtesy of Marshall Space Flight Center (http://mix.msfc.nasa.gov/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html)
Explanation: Fifty years ago (on January 31, 1958) the First Explorer (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/explorer/), was launched into Earth orbit (http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/explorer/ welcome.html) by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. Inaugurating the era of space exploration for the United States, Explorer I (http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/expinfo.html) was a thirty pound satellite that carried instruments to measure temperatures, and micrometeorite impacts, along with an experiment designed by James A. Van Allen (http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/vanallen.html) to measure the density of electrons and ions in space. The measurements made by Van Allen's experiment led to an unexpected and startling discovery (http://www.phy6.org/Education/wexp13.html) -- an earth-encircling belt of high energy electrons and ions trapped in the magnetosphere (http://www.phy6.org/Education/Intro.html) now known as the Van Allen Radiation Belt (http://www.phy6.org/Education/wradbelt.html). Explorer I ceased transmitting on February 28, 1958, but remained in orbit until March of 1970. Pioneering space scientist James Van Allen (http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/features/ james_van_allen.html) died on August 9th, 2006 at the age of 91.
(Via NASA) (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080201.html)