Satellites - National Air and Space Museum
A satellite is an object that is in orbit around an object in space of a larger size. Things such as the Earth's Moon or Pluto's Charon are natural satellites. Humans have also created artificial satellites—human-made machines and spacecraft in orbit …
Communications Satellites | National Air and Space Museum
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower used SCORE—the first communication satellite—to broadcast a Christmas message: "Through this unique means I convey to you and all mankind, America's wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere." The SCORE (Signal Communications by Orbital Relay Equipment) satellite operated for 35 days.
What Was the Space Race? | National Air and Space Museum
2023年8月23日 · The first U.S. satellite launch effort failed spectacularly when its Vanguard rocket exploded during liftoff on December 6, 1957. (NASA) After the first Vanguard failure, the Army gained approval to attempt a satellite launch. On January 31, 1958, a modified Redstone missile, the Jupiter-C, lofted America's first satellite, Explorer 1, into space.
Satellite, MOUSE, Concept Model - National Air and Space Museum
The MOUSE (Minimal Orbital Unmanned Satellite, Earth) is a full-scale design concept model for an artificial satellite. It weighs about 100 pounds, contains Geiger counters for measuring cosmic ray intensity, photo cells for scanning the earth, telemetry electronics for sending data back to earth, a magnetic data storage device as well as ...
Ariel 1 Satellite | National Air and Space Museum
This is a replica of Ariel-1 satellite, the world's first internationally conceived and executed satellite. The flight model was designed and built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and carried six British experiments designed to study the ionosphere and its relationship to solar radiation, including cosmic ray, solar emission and ...
The Space Race: getting to the Moon - National Air and Space …
In October 1957, they sent the first artificial satellite into space, Sputnik 1. One month later, they launched a second satellite, Sputnik 2 , carrying a dog named Laika. To separate the military and civilian efforts, the U.S. established NASA in July 1958.
Three Ways Satellites Help Us Understand Our Environment
2022年8月9日 · A decade later, satellite imagery revealed a huge, depleted area of the ozone layer over Antarctica. This confirmed scientists' theory and provided startling evidence of human impact on a global scale. In 1987, production of these hazardous gases was banned by a unanimous United Nations treaty.
Jupiter-C Rocket (Replica) | National Air and Space Museum
It has a replica of the Explorer I satellite on top. The Jupiter-C launched the Explorer I on January 31, 1958 as the U.S.'s first artificial satellite. The Jupiter-C was a modified Army Redstone liquid-fuel rocket with solid-fuel upper stages and a slightly more powerful main stage engine.
The Military Rockets that Launched the Space Age
2023年8月9日 · The Viking was the U.S. Navy’s refinement of the V-2. It was used in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a sounding rocket and test launch vehicle for Project Vanguard, which sought to launch the first artificial satellite into low Earth orbit.
Communications Satellite, Oscar I - National Air and Space Museum
Launched in December 1961, OSCAR 1 (Orbiting Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio) was the world's first non-governmental satellite. Built by a group of California based amateur radio operators for only 63 dollars, OSCAR I operated for nearly …