The World’s Oldest Scientific Satellite is Still in Orbit

Nearly 60 years ago, the US Navy launched Vanguard-1 as a response to the Soviet Sputnik. Six decades on, it’s still circling our planet. Conceived by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in 1955, Vanguard was to be America’s first satellite program. The Vanguard system consisted of a three-stage rocket designed to launch a civilian scientific spacecraft. The rocket, satellite and an ambitious network of tracking stations would form part of the US contribution to the 1957-58 International Geophysical Year. This global collaboration of scientific research involved 67 nations, including both sides of the Iron Curtain.

For more information go to http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20171005-the-worlds-oldest-scientific-satellite-is-still-in-orbit

 

Scroll to Top