Name: Explorer 33 — Thor Delta E1
Start: 1966-07-01T16:02:25Z
End: 1966-07-01T16:02:25Z
Location: Space Launch Complex 17A

Question 1

What rocket is launching Explorer 33?

Accepted Answer

Explorer 33 is launching on the Thor Delta E1.

Question 2

Who is launching Explorer 33?

Accepted Answer

Explorer 33 is being launched by United States Air Force, a government launch provider founded in 1947.

Question 3

Where is Explorer 33 launching from?

Accepted Answer

Explorer 33 is launching from Space Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Explorer 33 heading to?

Accepted Answer

Explorer 33 is heading to Lunar Orbit (LO).

Question 5

Is the Thor Delta E1 reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Thor Delta E1 is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Thor Delta E1 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Thor Delta E1 has launched 17 times to date, with 16 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Explorer 33 mission?

Accepted Answer

Satellite instrumented for studies of interplanetary plasma, energetic charged particles, magnetic fields, and solar X-rays at lunar distances.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Explorer 33

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 17A

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions