Media Resources
The launch of Explorer 1 on Jan. 31, 1958, initiated six decades of groundbreaking scientific discovery and human exploration that NASA and its partners continue to this day.
The video and images here are available for download by media covering the 60th anniversary. Unless otherwise indicated, please credit NASA when using this material.
Media contacts:
Elizabeth Vlock,
NASA Headquarters
Email Address: elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
Andrew Good
NASA JPL Media Relations
Email: andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
Video

Visualize NASA Near-Earth Missions
This representation by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio shows the orbits of NASA-related near-Earth science missions from the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958 through 2017. The missions include both NASA-run missions and those operated by NASA and partner organizations.

Explorer 1 and the Birth of NASA
The success of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, convinced government officials of the need for a national, civilian space agency. Celebrating six decades of achievement since the launch of Explorer 1 and the subsequent establishment of NASA, NASA Chief Historian Bill Barry talks about the big impact of that little satellite.

Explorer 1: America’s First Satellite and the Future of Exploration
What did the launch of Explorer 1, America’s first satellite, mean for the lab that designed it and the nation’s space program? Michael Watkins, former director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reflects on 60 years of space science and looks forward to new challenges.
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