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Explorer 2

Explorer 2

Explorer 2 was the second satellite of the notable Explorer mission series that launched the United States into the Space Age, however, it did not reach the same success as its predecessor, Explorer 1.

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Mission Statistics

Launch Date

March 5, 1958

Type

Orbiter

Target

Earth

Status

Past

About the mission

Explorer 2 was the second satellite of the notable Explorer mission series that launched the United States into the Space Age, however, it did not reach the same success as its predecessor, Explorer 1. On launch day, the fourth stage of the Jupiter-C rocket carrying the satellite failed to ignite, and the mission was scrubbed.

The Explorer series consisted of more than fifty satellites launched over a period of about 15 years. In 1960, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which designed, built and operated the first five satellites of the series, turned the project over to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and turned its attention to planetary exploration with its Mariner, Ranger and Surveyor spacecraft projects.

Instruments

  • Cosmic-ray detector
  • Micrometeorite detector

Mission Highlights

March 5, 1958

The fourth stage of the Jupiter-C rocket launching Explorer 2 failed to ignite, scrubbing the mission.
Target: Earth

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