Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States. It was part of the U.S. response to the Soviet Union’s successful launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957. Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958 and was designed to study the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The satellite was equipped with a number of scientific instruments, including a cosmic ray detector. The data collected by Explorer 1 helped scientists understand more about the Earth’s radiation belts, which are now known as the Van Allen belts. Explorer 1 remained in orbit until 1970, when it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned up.
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