Explorer 6

Explorer 6 was an American satellite, which was launched on August 7, 1959. The small, spherical satellite was designed as part of the Explorer program to investigate, among others, geomagnetism and the propagation of radio waves in the upper atmosphere. With a camera on board images of the Earth taken from space for the first time also. Explorer 6 was placed in a very elliptical orbit. The satellite was spin-stabilized and rotated at 2 revolutions per second. Four solar cells that were attached to the equator of the satellite, served to recharge the batteries in space, of which, however, completely unfolded only three. The last satellite contact was made on 6 October 1959.

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