Success
Explorer 6
Earth Science
United States Air Force(USAF)Government
Thor Able III
Ellipticalorbit
Explorer 6 was an American satellite designed to study trapped radiation of various energies, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation 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 from a satellite.
Friday, August 7, 1959 at 2:24 PM
Mission details
Orbital Attempt
#43
USAF Mission
#5
Pad Launch
#4
Location Launch
#24
Designator
1959-004
Launch Window
NET
Aug 7, 1959, 2:24 PM
Schedule Changes
1 update
Thor Able III Specs
American orbital launch vehicle. Thor with Able stage derived from Vanguard second stage.
Length
27.4 m
Diameter
2.44 m
Launch Mass
52 t
Thrust
668 kN
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
1959
Total Launches
1
Successful
1
Failed
0
Consecutive Success
1
Maiden flight: Aug 7, 1959
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947.
Founded
1947
Administrator
Commander-in-Chief: President of the US
Total Launches
1,078
Successful
972
Failed
106
Pending
0
Consecutive Success
68
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Timezone
America/New_York
Local Launch Time
Aug 7, 1959, 10:24 AM
Total Launches
1,109
Total Landings
75
Coordinates
28.4889, -80.5778