Timeline of Earth science satellites

The Timeline of Earth science satellites shows, in chronological order, those successful 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.

## 1950s

Satellite  | Country  | Date  | Organisation  | Notes

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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 I | 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

Satellite  | Country  | Date  | Organisation  | Notes

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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 |  |

## References

* Claude LaFleur's The Spacecraft Encyclopedia
* Encyclopedia Astronautica

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