|
DATE LAUNCHED |
NATION |
NAME |
ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
|
Oct. 4, 1957 |
USSR |
Sputnik I |
First satellite to
orbit the Earth. |
|
Nov. 3, 1957 |
USSR |
Sputnik 2 |
First satellite to
carry animal into orbit-the dog Laika. |
|
Jan. 31, 1958 |
US |
Explorer 1 |
First American
satellite; discovered the radiation belts around the Earth. |
|
Mar. 7, 1962 |
US |
OSO-1 |
First orbiting solar
observatory. |
|
Sep. 4, 1964 |
US |
OGO-1 |
First orbiting
geophysical observatory. |
|
Dec. 7, 1968 |
US |
OAO-2 |
First orbiting
astronomical observatory. |
|
Oct. 31, 1973 |
USSR |
Bion 1 |
Start of Bion series
of international biological experiments, involving monkeys. |
|
May 4, 1976
|
US |
Lageos |
High-precision
geographic measurements made from space. |
|
Aug. 12, 1977 |
US |
HEAO-1 |
First high-energy
astronomy observatory. |
|
Jan. 26, 1978 |
US/Europe |
IUE |
International
Ultraviolet Explorer. |
|
Nov. 13, 1978 |
US |
Einstein |
Second high-energy
astronomy observatory; found quasars. |
|
Feb.
18, 1979 |
US |
SAGE |
Study of the Earth's stratosphere to measure ozone and
aerosols. |
|
Feb.
14, 1980 |
US |
Solar
Max |
Observatory designed to study solar activity. |
|
Jan.
25, 1983 |
US/Europe |
IRAS |
First satellite to make detailed all-sky infrared
survey. |
|
Mar.
23, 1983 |
USSR |
Astron |
Observatory with ultraviolet and X-ray telescopes. |
|
May
26, 1983 |
US/Europe |
Exosat |
Detailed study of X-ray sources in the Milky Way
and other galaxies. |
|
Aug.
16, 1984 |
US/Europe |
AMPTE |
Active Magnetosphere Particle Tracer Explorer to
study solar wind and Earth's magnetic field. |
|
Apr.
14, 1988 |
USSR |
Foton |
Materials processing experiments. |
|
Nov.
17, 1989 |
US |
COBE |
First satellite to map cosmic background radiation in
detail. |
|
Nov.
30, 1989 |
USSR |
Granat |
Observatory to study distant galaxies. |
|
Apr.
24, 1990 |
US |
Hubble |
First large optical telescope placed in Earth orbit,
seeing farther into space than any instrument before. |
|
Jul.
11, 1990 |
USSR |
Gamma |
Observatory to study
gamma rays, pulsars and high-energy sources. |
|
Apr.
5, 1991 |
US |
Compton |
17-tonne gamma ray observatory. |
|
Dec.
18, 1991 |
USSR |
Intercosmos |
25 Active plasma experiment with subsatellite. |
|
Oct.
27, 1992 |
Russia |
Progress |
M-15 First test of solar sail to light up the
night sky from space. |
|
Mar.
2, 1994 |
Russia |
Koronas-1 |
Studied internal structure of the sun. |
|
Nov.
17, 1995 |
Europe |
ISO |
nfrared Space
Observatory - successor to IRAS. |
