posted 01-23-2018 01:22 PM               

Celebrating 60 Years of America in Space on Jan. 31

Late in the evening of Jan. 31, 1958, the United States took its first step into space with the launch of the Explorer 1 satellite from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The slender, 30-pound satellite would yield a major scientific discovery — the Van Allen radiation belts circling our planet — and ushered in six decades of groundbreaking U.S. space science and human exploration.

In commemoration of this achievement, NASA is supporting events in California and Washington, D.C. to mark the 60th anniversary of the launch.

Anniversary events spotlight the historical significance of the Explorer 1 mission, the legacy of scientific accomplishments produced by America’s space program, and NASA’s continuing journey of discovery in space.

• Six Decades of Earth Science Discoveries
  Thursday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. PST
  NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), von Karman Auditorium, Pasadena, California

  America’s very first space science discovery was made by the JPL-built Explorer 1. Join JPL historian Erik Conway, JPL Earth scientists Carmen Boening and Erika Podest and others for a conversation and multimedia journey that spans the dawn of American space science to the latest Earth-observing missions that are providing vital information about our planet. The event will be livestreamed and is open to the public.

• The Explorer 1 Mission and the Discovery of Earth's Radiation Belts
  Wednesday, Jan. 31, 12:30-5:30 p.m. EST
  National Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington

  The Space Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine host a celebration of the Explorer 1 mission and the associated discovery of Earth’s radiation belts. Speakers, including NASA Associate Administrator for Science Thomas Zurbuchen, will discuss scientific and technological advances over the past six decades, the history of the mission and radiation belt discoveries, the latest results from NASA’s Van Allen Probes, and space missions observing the Earth system. The event will be live-streamed and is open to the public (advance registration required).

A new NASA website is available to provide the public with historical information about Explorer 1. The site contains archival imagery and an interactive timeline of American space science firsts.

High-resolution imagery and interviews related to the Explorer 1 launch and America’s six decades of space science missions are available for download.