explorer program

This article is about the space exploration program. "Explorer program" may also refer to the file browser of Windows, called Windows Explorer.

The Explorer program was the United States's first successful attempt to launch an artificial satellite . It began as a U.S. Army proposal to place an scientific satellite into orbit during the International Geophysical Year. That proposal was rejected in favor of the U.S. Navy's Project Vanguard. It was revived as a crash program to catch up with the Soviet Union after that nation's launch of Sputnik I on October 4, 1957. (See: Sputnik crisis) Explorer 1 was launched February 1 1958. Besides being the first U.S. satellite, it is known for discovering the Van Allen radiation belt.

Explorer at NASA

The Explorer program was taken over by NASA, which continued to use the name for unmanned space missions. Over the years, NASA has launched a series of "Explorer" spacecraft carrying a wide variety of scientific investigations. The list below identifies the 79 successful missions as of December 2004. As of this writing, Explorers 50 (IMP J), 67-74 and 77-83 (EUVE, SAMPEX, RXTE, FAST, ACE, SNOE, TRACE, SWAS, FUSE, IMAGE, WMAP, HESSI, CHIPSat, GALEX and SWIFT) are still operating. NASA's Explorer spacecraft series not only is the longest running series of spacecraft, it has produced highly-durable, well-engineered spacecraft as well. Of the 79 successful Explorer missions depicted, fully five of them had had missions which lasted 10 or more years, the longest of which (IMP J) has been operational for over 26 years now and still produces valuable information about the solar wind. NASA's IUE spacecraft operated for 19 years and produced copious amounts of data for the astronomical community. The ISEE 3/ICE spacecraft operated for 14 years. As of March of 2000, of the ten operational Explorer missions, SNOE and TRACE have operated for about two year, ACE two and a half years, FAST for about three and a half, RXTE for over four, EUVE and SAMPEX for nearly eight, and IMP 8 for more than 26. SWAS has been operational for slightly more than one year, having been launched in early December 1998.

Mission History

b>Explorer Missions
style="background:#efefef;" \| Explorer	style="background:#efefef;" \| Name	style="background:#efefef;" \| Launch Date	style="background:#efefef;" \| Mission
lign=center\| 1	align=center\| Explorer 1	\| February 1 1958	\| Energy particles studies, discovered the Van Allen radiation belt
lign=center\| 2	align=center\| Explorer 2	\| March 5 1958	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| 3	align=center\| Explorer 3	\| March 26 1958	\| Energy particles studies
lign=center\| 4	align=center\| Explorer 4	\| July 26 1958	\| Energy particles studies
lign=center\| 5	align=center\| Explorer 5	\| August 24 1958	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| --	align=center\| S-1	\| July 16 1959	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| 6	align=center\| S-2	\| August 7 1959	\| Magnetosphere research
lign=center\| 7	align=center\| S-1a	\| October 13 1959	\| Energy particles studies
lign=center\| --	align=center\| S-46	\| March 23 1960	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| 8	align=center\| S-56	\| November 3 1960	\| Measured atmospheric composition of the ionosphere
lign=center\| --	align=center\| S-56	\| December 4 1960	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| 9	align=center\| S-56a	\| February 16 1961	\| Atmospheric density measurments
lign=center\| --	align=center\| S-45	\| February 24 1961	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| 10	align=center\| P-14	\| March 25 1961	\| Investigated field magnetic field between the earth
lign=center\| 11	align=center\| S-15	\| April 27 1961	\| Gamma ray astronomy
lign=center\| --	align=center\| S-45a	\| May 25 1961	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| --	align=center\| S-55	\| June 30 1961	\| Failed to achive orbit
lign=center\| 12	align=center\| EPE A	\| August 16 1961	\| Energetic particles research
lign=center\| 13	align=center\| S-55a	\| August 25 1961	\| Micrometeoroids research
lign=center\| 14	align=center\| EPE B	\| October 2 1962	\| Energetic particles research
lign=center\| 15	align=center\| EPE C	\| October 27 1962	\| Energetic particles research
lign=center\| 16	align=center\| S-55b	\| December 16 1962	\| Micrometeoroids research
lign=center\| 17	align=center\| AE A	\| April 3 1963	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 18	align=center\| IMP A	\| November 27 1963	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 19	align=center\| AD A	\| December 19 1963	\| Atmospheric density measurments
lign=center\| 20	align=center\| IE A	\| August 25 1964	\| Ionosphere research
lign=center\| 21	align=center\| IMP B	\| October 4 1964	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 22	align=center\| BE B	\| October 10 1964	\| Ionospheric and geodetic research
lign=center\| 23	align=center\| Explorer 23	\| November 6 1964	\| Micrometeoric research
lign=center\| 24	align=center\| AD B	\| November 21 1964	\| Atmospheric density measurments
lign=center\| 25	align=center\| Injun 4 (IE B)	\| November 21 1964	\| Ionospheric research
lign=center\| 26	align=center\| EPE D	\| December 21 1964	\| High energy particle observations
lign=center\| 27	align=center\| IMP C	\| April 29 1965	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 28	align=center\| IMP C	\| May 29 1965	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 29	align=center\| GEOS A	\| November 6 1965	\| Geodetic earth monitoring
lign=center\| 30	align=center\| Solrad 8 (SE A)	\| November 19 1965	\| Solar radiation monitoring
lign=center\| 31	align=center\| DME A	\| November 29 1965	\| Ionospheric research
lign=center\| 32	align=center\| AE B	\| May 25 1966	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 33	align=center\| IMP D	\| July 1 1966	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 34	align=center\| IMP F	\| May 24 1967	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 35	align=center\| IMP E	\| July 19 1967	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 36	align=center\| GEOS B	\| January 11 1968	\| Geodetic earth monitoring
lign=center\| 37	align=center\| Solrad 9 (SE B)	\| March 5 1968	\| Solar radiation monitoring
lign=center\| 38	align=center\| RAE A	\| July 4 1968	\| Radio astronomy
lign=center\| 39	align=center\| AD C	\| August 8 1968	\| Atmospheric density measurments
lign=center\| 40	align=center\| Injun 5 (IE C)	\| August 8 1968	\| Magnetospheric Research
lign=center\| 41	align=center\| IMP G	\| June 21 1969	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 42	align=center\| SAS A	\| December 12 1970	\| X-Ray Astronomy
lign=center\| 43	align=center\| IMP H	\| March 13 1971	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 44	align=center\| Solrad 10 (SE C)	\| July 8 1971	\| Solar radiation monitoring
lign=center\| 45	align=center\| SSS A	\| November 15 1971	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 46	align=center\| MTS A	\| August 13 1972	\| Micrometeoroids research
lign=center\| 47	align=center\| IMP I	\| September 23 1972	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 48	align=center\| SAS B	\| November 15 1972	\| X-Ray Astronomy
lign=center\| 49	align=center\| RAE B	\| June 10 1973	\| Radio astronomy
lign=center\| 50	align=center\| IMP J	\| October 26 1973	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 51	align=center\| AE C	\| December 16 1973	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 52	align=center\| Injun 6 (IE D)	\| June 3 1974	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 53	align=center\| SAS C	\| May 7 1975	\| X-Ray Astronomy
lign=center\| 54	align=center\| AE D	\| October 6 1975	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 55	align=center\| AE E	\| November 20 1975	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 56	align=center\| ISEE 1	\| October 22 1977	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 57	align=center\| IUE	\| January 26 1978	\| Ultraviolet astronomy
lign=center\| 58	align=center\| HCMM	\| April 26 1978	\| Thermal mapping of the earth
lign=center\| 59	align=center\| ISEE 3 (ICE)	\| August 12 1978	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 60	align=center\| SAGE	\| February 18 1979	\| Stratospheric aerosol and ozone data
lign=center\| 61	align=center\| Magsat	\| October 30 1979	\| Mapped the near surface magnetic field of the Earth
lign=center\| 62	align=center\| DE 1	\| August 3 1981	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 63	align=center\| DE 2	\| August 3 1981	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 64	align=center\| SME	\| October 6 1981	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 65	align=center\| CCE	\| August 16 1984	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 66	align=center\| COBE	\| November 18 1989	\| Microwave astronomy
lign=center\| 67	align=center\| EXUV	\| June 7 1992	\| Ultraviolet astronomy
lign=center\| 68	align=center\| SAMPEX	\| July 3 1992	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 69	align=center\| XTE	\| December 30 1995	\| X-ray astronomy
lign=center\| 70	align=center\| FAST	\| August 21 1996	\| Auroral phenomena
lign=center\| 71	align=center\| ACE	\| August 25 1997	\| Solar/interplanetary/interstellar partical research
lign=center\| 72	align=center\| SNOE	\| February 26 1998	\| Atmospheric research
lign=center\| 73	align=center\| TRACE	\| April 2 1998	\| Solar observatory
lign=center\| 74	align=center\| SWAS	\| December 6 1998	\| Submillimeter astronomy
lign=center\| 75	align=center\| WIRE	\| March 5 1999	\| InfraRed astronomy, primary mission failed due to loss of coolant
lign=center\| 76	align=center\| TERRIERS	\| May 18 1999	\| Atmospheric research, satellite failed shortly after achiving orbit
lign=center\| 77	align=center\| FUSE	\| June 23 1999	\| Ultraviolet astronomy
lign=center\| 78	align=center\| IMAGE	\| March 25 2000	\| Magnetospheric research
lign=center\| 79	align=center\| WMAP	\| June 30 2001	\| Microwave astronomy
lign=center\| 80	align=center\| RHESSI	\| February 5 2002	\| X-ray and gamma ray solar flare imaging
lign=center\| 81	align=center\| CHIPSat	\| January 13 2003	\| Ultraviolet spectroscopy and astronomy
lign=center\| 82	align=center\| GALEX	\| April 28 2003	\| Ultraviolet astronomy
lign=center\| 83	align=center\| SWIFT	\| November 20 2004	\| Gamma ray astronomy

<< Previous

Word Browser

Next >>

european democrats
epistle to the ephesians
electrical bus
exploit (computer security)
erg
everway
efficient markets theory
eurocard
electron counting
entropy
expert

economy of afghanistan
elf
evil
ethnicity
ethnic nationalism
epistle to the hebrews
esther
entamoeba
england national football team
eureka, missouri
equation of state

ecclesiastes
equator
executable and linkable format
electronic frontier foundation
electronic oscillator
european company statute
electronic mixer
eubulides of miletus
eta
endomembrane system
ethnology

espagnole sauce
electronic amplifier
escort aircraft carrier
extreme sport
eadgyth
kingdom of essex
eve (disambiguation)
ethelbert of kent
erwin schrdinger
easywriter
ed sullivan