On This Day in Telephone History January 31ST 1958, the United States’ first satellite, Explorer 1, was launched from Cape Canaveral by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency. Explorer 1’s radio transmitters were manufactured using Western Electric transistors. As well as being the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1 was also the first satellite to carry science instruments – one of which discovered the van Allen radiation belts which circle the Earth. Dr. James A. van Allen designed and built that instrument on Explorer 1.

On This Day in Telephone History January 31ST 1958

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On This Day in Telephone History January 31ST 1958, the United States’ First Satellite, Explorer 1, was launched from Cape Canaveral by the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency. Explorer 1’s radio transmitters were manufactured using Western Electric Transistors. As well as being the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1 was also the first satellite to carry science instruments – one of which discovered the van Allen Radiation Belts which circle the Earth. Dr. James A. van Allen designed and built that instrument on Explorer 1.