The Day America Entered the Space Age
Sixty-seven years ago, a slender rocket carried America's first satellite into orbit, discovering a mysterious feature of our planet that would change our understanding of space forever
Launch Date
February 22, 1986
Launch Site
FRGUI
Launch Pad
ELA1
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 1
NORAD ID
17196
International Designator
1986-019AY
Decay Date
1/16/1989
Name
ARIANE 1 DEB
Alternative Name
deb Ariane V16
Type
Status
Owner
AE
Country
France
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Length
0
Diameter
0
Span
0
Dry Mass
0
Launch Mass
0
Shape
N/A
Radar Cross Section
0.0134
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Payload
Unknown
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
Unknown
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
Learn more about satellites and other related topics.
Sixty-seven years ago, a slender rocket carried America's first satellite into orbit, discovering a mysterious feature of our planet that would change our understanding of space forever
Cassini's Titan T-115 encounter marked the moment the spacecraft stopped looking down and started looking sideways, trading one type of science for another as it entered the final chapter of an iconic mission.
Forty years ago today, the USSR launched a 20-ton aluminum cylinder into low Earth orbit and called it 'Peace.' Over the next 15 years, Mir would host 104 people from 12 countries, survive a fire and a collision, and quietly teach humanity how to live in space.
How many Starlink satellites are in orbit in 2026? 10,087 working of 10,097 on orbit, 11,612 launched to date, per KeepTrack data.
An exciting day in space with potential maneuver revelations from the X-37B, SpaceX's resumption of Falcon 9 launches, and significant advancements in lunar exploration tied to new U.S. spacesuits.
A 220-year-old Japanese construction company wants to build an 11,000-kilometer belt of solar cells around the lunar equator and beam the power back to Earth. The physics checks out. Everything else is another story.
SpaceX prepares for another Starlink launch today, following a successful deployment over the weekend from Florida's Space Coast.
Today’s brief highlights developments including the Crew-11 launch preparations and the impact of Starlink satellites on radio telescope observations.