
In late 1957, teams at JPL worked on the complex pieces required to build the Explorer 1 satellite. Here, Explorer 1 is test-mated before launch by engineers (from left) John Small, Gene Hendricks and Dee Trimble. Explorer 1 was launched successfully on Jan. 31, 1958, and became the first satellite to carry science instruments.
In late 1957, teams at JPL worked on the complex pieces required to build the Explorer 1 satellite. Here, Explorer 1 is test-mated before launch by engineers (from left) John Small, Gene Hendricks and Dee Trimble. Explorer 1 was launched successfully on Jan. 31, 1958, and became the first satellite to carry science instruments.
Image courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech
JPL photo number P-923B