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December 1958 – Pioneer Antenna Received First Transmission
December 1958 – Pioneer Antenna Received First Transmission

The 26 meter antenna (Deep Space Station 11) was built in Goldstone, California (in the Mojave Desert) and nicknamed “Pioneer”…

October 1958 – Pioneer 1 Launched
October 1958 – Pioneer 1 Launched

Pioneer 1 was launched weighing 84 pounds (38 kilograms). Pioneer, the first lunar space program under NASA was created to…

October 1958 – National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) Established
October 1958 – National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) Established

The US civilian space program, National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) was established. NASA encompassed its predecessor National Advisory Committee on…

A Full Flightline at Armstrong
A Full Flightline at Armstrong

Behind three Douglas D-558-IIs is the B-29 launch aircraft. Under its right wing is the world’s first ground-based reaction control…

March 1958 – Vanguard Launched
March 1958 – Vanguard Launched

After several publicly failed attempts, the Naval Research Laboratory’s Vanguard I was launched. Within two and half years, Project Vanguard…

January 1958 – Explorer 1 Launched
January 1958 – Explorer 1 Launched

Explorer 1 launched. Orbiter was reinstated by President Dwight Eisenhower after numerous issues with Vanguard. Orbiter, led by the Army…

October 1957 – Sputnik Launched
October 1957 – Sputnik Launched

Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, was launched into space. It was built and launched by the Union of Soviet Socialist…

October 1957 – Minitrack Declared Operational
October 1957 – Minitrack Declared Operational

A north south fence of Minitrack stations became operational. Vanguard’s team established the first worldwide network of tracking stations, with…

July 1956 – Minitrack Elements Fed into Blossom Point Proving Ground
July 1956 – Minitrack Elements Fed into Blossom Point Proving Ground

The Minitrack System Blossom Point Proving Ground in Maryland would be the hub where all the elements of the network…

September 1955 – Vanguard Project Selected
September 1955 – Vanguard Project Selected

The Vanguard Project from the Naval Research Laboratory was selected to be the US submission into the International Geophysical Year…