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History at Complex 26

A commemorative historic marker was unveiled at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 26, now part of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Museum, to denote the 60th anniversary of Explorer 1, which was launched from that site aboard a Jupiter-C rocket on Jan. 31, 1958.

Joining NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana and other government officials was John Meisenheimer, who was the weather officer for Explorer 1. It was Meisenheimer who gave two "no-go" forecasts due to upper-level winds on the days before the launch.

See more images from the day on Flickr.

Images

A man in a tan suit, red tie, and sunglasses stands at a clear podium speaking into a microphone outdoors. Behind him is a large brown sign that reads "COMPLEX-26 Launch site of EXPLORER - I America's first Satellite." The NASA logo and the 45th Space Wing emblem are visible on the front of the podium, and several historical plaques and dark rocks sit on the ground in the background.
Kennedy Space center Director Bob Cabana speaks to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. The ceremony took place in front of the Space Launch Complex 26 blockhouse at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
NASA/Kim Shiflett
A group of eight men, including several veterans and military personnel, pose outdoors around a large historical marker at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The dark blue sign is titled "LAUNCH SITE OF AMERICA’S FIRST SATELLITE: EXPLORER 1" and details the history of the 1958 mission. The men are dressed in a mix of civilian suits, casual jackets, and a camouflage military uniform, standing on a grassy area with palm trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
Launch team members who supported the launch of America's first satellite, Explorer 1, pose at a newly unveiled historical marker with Ray Sands, chairman of the Air Force Space and Missile Foundation (sponsor of the marker), Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, 45th Space Wing commander, and director of the Eastern Range, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana.
NASA/Kim Shiflett
John Meisenheimer, the lead weather forecaster for the original Explorer 1 mission, speaks at an outdoor podium. He is dressed in a tan blazer and dark sunglasses, with his hands resting on the edges of a clear acrylic lectern adorned with the NASA and 45th Space Wing logos. The shot is a medium profile view, capturing him as he addresses attendees at a commemorative event held at the Cape Canaveral launch site.
John Meisenheimer, launch weather officer for Explorer 1, speak to guests at an event celebrating the 60th anniversary of America's first satellite. Meisenheimer's calculations of high upper-level winds led to two days of "no-go" before Explorer 1 was launched on Jan. 31, 1958.
NASA/Kim Shiflett
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Explorer 1

America's first satellite, Explorer 1. America joined the space race with the launch of this small, but important spacecraft.