Status
Success
Explorer 6
Launch Time
Fri Aug 07, 1959 14:24 UTC
Fri Aug 07, 1959 14:24 UTC
Rocket
Mission Details
Explorer 6
Explorer 6 was a small, spheroidal satellite designed to study trapped radiation of various energies, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation in the upper atmosphere, and the flux of micrometeorites. It also tested a scanning device designed for photographing the Earth's cloud cover, and transmitted the first pictures of Earth via satellite.
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 64.0 kg
Highly Elliptical Orbit
Location
SLC-17A, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA
Stats
1959
12th orbital launch attempt
Thor-Able
4th mission
1st mission of 1959
1st successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission