The world’s oldest flying satelliteLink here. It also happens to have been the fourth ever launched, and the second U.S. satellite, Vanguard 1.
Thanks to Kirk for reminding me that Vanguard 1 was not the first U.S. satellite, and was actually the fourth launched, not the second. All I needed to do to avoid the error was read my own Chronological Encyclopedia, but I was too lazy to do that, even though it is on my desk. Duh.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Link here. It also happens to have been the fourth ever launched, and the second U.S. satellite, Vanguard 1.
Thanks to Kirk for reminding me that Vanguard 1 was not the first U.S. satellite, and was actually the fourth launched, not the second. All I needed to do to avoid the error was read my own Chronological Encyclopedia, but I was too lazy to do that, even though it is on my desk. Duh.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Cool.
As a kid, I remember watching ECHO cross the sky.
Homework assignment:
Do the reliability calls on that baby
I don’t understand the context of “second ever launched, and the first U.S. satellite.”
1957-10-04 Sputnik 1 — reentered 1958-01-04 (last contact 1957-10-26)
1957-11-03 Sputnik 2 (with Laika) — reentered 1958-04-14 (last contact 1957-11-10)
1958-01-31 Explorer 1 — reentered 1970-03-31 (last contact 1958-05-23)
1958-03-17 Vanguard 1(1st solar powered satellite) — reentry est. 2198 (last contact 1964-05)
So Vanguard 1 is the fourth ever successfully launched satellite, and the second U.S. satellite.
Kirk: Whoops. A bit of laziness on my part produced this error. All I had to do was pull out my own copy of my Chronological Encyclopedia to find out that Vanguard 1 was #4. I did not.
The post now is fixed.
Using Heavens Above or some other software (I use Skymap Lite) for satellite observing, I have been able to see both Vanguard 1 and 2 using an 11′ telescope. Despite its size, it is about 11th magnitude and can be seen surprisingly easily. You just have to be looking at the exact place at the exact time.
I believe that a couple of the early Pioneer series are still functioning, are in solar orbits and are contacted occasionally. These are not quite as old but were launched in the 1960’s IIRC