Explorers


Explorers

A large group of US scientific satellites, the first of which – Explorer 1 – was America's first satellite and was launched on Jan. 31 1958; it weighed 14 kg. It was able to confirm the existence of one of the Van Allen radiation belts. Explorers have been used in a wide range of scientific studies. Recent and proposed Explorers include IUE, COBE, EUVE, FUSE, and XTE. The Small Explorer (SMEX) class provides a more rapid access to space for small payloads (less than 200 kg); SWAS is an example.