August 7, 1959 2:24 pm
Explorer 6
|
Thor Able III
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
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Last Updated:
2026-07-14 00:11:02
Explorer 6 was an American satellite designed to study trapped radiation of various energies, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation and the flux of micrometeorites. It also tested a scanning device designed for photographing the Earth’s cloud cover, and transmitted the first pictures of Earth from a satellite.
Launch Overview
Window Open
14:24 UTC
Window Close
14:24 UTC
Lift Off
Aug 7, 1959 · 14:24 UTC
Launch Facility
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 17A
Target Orbit
Elliptical Orbit
Payload Overview
Customer
United States Air Force
Payload
Explorer 6
Rocket
Thor Able III
Destination
Elliptical Orbit
Recovery Overview
Landing Location
See Mission Notes
Landing Type
RTLS / Droneship
Explorer 6 was an American satellite designed to study trapped radiation of various energies, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation and the flux of micrometeorites. It also tested a scanning device designed for photographing the Earth’s cloud cover, and transmitted the first pictures of Earth from a satellite.
Height
LEO Payload
Total Launches
Status
United States Air Force
Space Launch Complex 17A
Launch Overview
Window Open
14:24 UTC
Window Close
14:24 UTC
Lift Off
Aug 7, 1959 · 14:24 UTC
Launch Facility
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 17A
Target Orbit
Elliptical Orbit
Payload Overview
Customer
United States Air Force
Payload
Explorer 6
Rocket
Thor Able III
Destination
Elliptical Orbit
Recovery Overview
Landing Location
See Mission Notes
Landing Type
RTLS / Droneship
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