| THE FIRST SATELLITES | ||
This second artificial satellite from the Soviets finally prompted the United States government to give the Project Orbiter team the go-ahead for a launch. Under the direction of Dr. Wernher Von Braun, a modified Redstone missile was designed and built to carry the Explorer 1. The Redstone itself was actually a direct descendant of a German V2 rocket. Sent aloft only 85 days after the second Sputnik mission, Explorer 1 was launched on January 31, 1958. Built with simplicity and high reliability in mind, it was completely successful. |
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