Explorer 3

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

17:38:03

Wednesday March 26, 1958

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Explorer 3

Wiki

Explorer 3 was launched in conjunction with the International Geophysical Year (IGY) by the U.S. Army (Ordnance) into an eccentric orbit. The objective of this spacecraft was a continuation of experiments started with Explorer 1. The payload consisted of a cosmic ray counter (a Geiger-Müller tube), and a micrometeorite detector (a wire grid array and acoustic detector). The Explorer 3 spacecraft was spin-stabilized and had an onboard tape recorder to provide a complete radiation history for each orbit.

Medium Earth Orbit

1 Payload

14 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Juno I

Active in 1958

Army Ballistic Missile Agency logo

Agency

ABMA

Rocket

Height: 21.2m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 11 kg

Liftoff Thrust

416 Kilonewtons

Stages

4

Launch Site

LC-5

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

28 days 2 hours

Stats

Juno I


3rd

Mission

3rd

Mission of 1958

1958


5th

Orbital launch attempt