Timeline of first Earth observation satellites
(Redirected from Timeline of Earth science satellites)
The timeline of first Earth observation satellites shows, in chronological order, those successful Earth observation satellites, that is, Earth satellites with a program of Earth science. Sputnik 1, while the first satellite ever launched, did not conduct Earth science. Explorer 1 was the first satellite to make an Earth science discovery when it found the Van Allen belts.
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1950s[edit]
Satellite | Country | Date | Organisation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sputnik 2 | Soviet Union | 3 November 1957 | Korolev Design Bureau | Researched charged particles near Earth |
Explorer 1 | United States | 1 February 1958 | U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency | Decayed 31 May 1970. Discovered Van Allen belts. |
Explorer 2 | United States | 5 March 1958 | U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency | Failed to orbit. |
Vanguard 1 | United States | 17 March 1958 | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Oldest artificial satellite in orbit, along with its upper stage. |
Explorer 3 | United States | 26 March 1958 | U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency | Decayed 28 June 1958. |
Vanguard TV-5 | United States | 29 April 1958 | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Failed to orbit. |
Sputnik 3 | Soviet Union | 15 May 1958 | Korolev Design Bureau | Decayed 6 April 1960. |
Vanguard SLV-1 | United States | 28 May 1958 | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Failed to orbit. |
Vanguard SLV-2 | United States | 26 June 1958 | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Failed to orbit. |
Explorer 4 | United States | 26 July 1958 | U.S. DARPA | Measured electrons & protons in radiation belts. Also measured data on Operation Argus nuclear explosions. |
Explorer 5 | United States | 24 August 1958 | U.S. DARPA | Failed to orbit. |
Vanguard SLV-3 | United States | 26 September 1958 | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Failed to orbit. |
Beacon 1 | United States | 23 October 1958 | NASA/U.S. Army | Failed to orbit. |
Vanguard II | United States | 17 February 1959 | NASA/U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Still in orbit. |
Vanguard SLV-5 | United States | 14 April 1959 | NASA | Failed to orbit. |
Vanguard SLV-6 | United States | 22 June 1959 | NASA | Failed to orbit. |
Explorer S-1 | United States | 16 July 1959 | NASA | Failed to orbit. |
Explorer 6 | United States | 7 August 1959 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory | Decayed 1 July 1961. |
Beacon 2 | United States | 15 August 1959 | NASA/U.S. Navy | Failed to orbit. |
Vanguard III | United States | 18 September 1959 | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Still in orbit. |
Explorer 7 | United States | 13 October 1959 | NASA | Still in orbit. |
1960s[edit]
Satellite | Country | Date | Organisation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Explorer 8 | United States | 3 November 1960 | Jet Propulsion Laboratory | Ionospheric studies; decayed from orbit on 28 March 2012. |
Explorer 9 | United States | 16 February 1961 | Langley Research Center (NASA) | Thermosphere and exosphere studies; decayed from orbit on 9 April 1964. |
Explorer S-56a | United States | 25 February 1961 | ||
Explorer 10 | United States | 25 March 1961 | NASA | Magnetic field and plasma studies; decayed from orbit on June 1, 1968. |
Explorer 11 | United States | 27 April 1961 | NASA | Gamma ray detection |
Explorer 12 | United States | 16 August 1961 | NASA | Solar wind, cosmic ray and magnetic field studies |
Explorer 13 | United States | 25 August 1961 | ||
Kosmos 3 | Soviet Union | 24 April 1962 | Decayed from orbit on 17 October 1962. | |
Ariel 1 | United Kingdom | 26 April 1962 | NASA-SERC | Ionospheric studies; decayed from orbit on 24 May 1976. |
Kosmos 5 | Soviet Union | 28 May 1962 | ||
Kosmos 8 | Soviet Union | 18 August 1968 | Micrometeoroid detection; discovered meteoroid flux | |
Alouette 1 | Canada | 29 September 1962 | DRDC | Ionospheric studies |
TAVE | United States | 29 September 1962 | ||
Explorer 14 | United States | 2 October 1962 | NASA | Particle and field detection |
Explorer 15 | United States | 27 October 1962 | NASA | |
Explorer 900 | United States | 16 December 1962 |