On Saint Patrick's Day in 1958, the U.S. Navy launched Vanguard 1, the first solar-powered satellite and the oldest artificial satellite currently orbiting the Earth.
The main purpose of this mission was to test a new three-stage rocket. Vanguard 1 was the fourth satellite ever launched into space (following Sputniks 1 and 2 and Explorer 1). It looks a lot like a miniature version of Sputnik. Vanguard 1 was tiny compared to the satellites that came before it. It's about the size of a grapefruit and weighs only 3 pounds. Solar technology allowed the satellite to transmit signals to Earth for 7 years, while battery-powered satellites couldn't even last a month. Scientists think the satellite will deorbit by the year 2198 after spending 240 years in space.
The main purpose of this mission was to test a new three-stage rocket. Vanguard 1 was the fourth satellite ever launched into space (following Sputniks 1 and 2 and Explorer 1). It looks a lot like a miniature version of Sputnik. Vanguard 1 was tiny compared to the satellites that came before it. It's about the size of a grapefruit and weighs only 3 pounds. Solar technology allowed the satellite to transmit signals to Earth for 7 years, while battery-powered satellites couldn't even last a month. Scientists think the satellite will deorbit by the year 2198 after spending 240 years in space.
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00:00 On this day in space.
00:04 On St. Patrick's Day in 1958, the U.S. Navy launched Vanguard 1, the first solar-powered
00:08 satellite and the oldest artificial satellite currently orbiting the Earth.
00:12 The main purpose of this mission was to test a new three-stage rocket.
00:16 Vanguard 1 was the fourth satellite ever launched into space, following Sputniks 1 and 2 and
00:20 Explorer 1.
00:21 It looks a lot like a miniature version of Sputnik.
00:24 Vanguard 1 was tiny compared to the satellites that came before it.
00:27 It's about the size of a grapefruit and weighs only 3 pounds.
00:31 Solar technology allowed the satellite to transmit signals to Earth for seven years,
00:35 while battery-powered satellites couldn't even last a month.
00:38 Scientists think the satellite will deorbit by the year 2198, after spending 240 years
00:43 in space.
00:44 And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:46 [music]