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American satellite launched in 1958; oldest manmade object currently in Earth orbit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American Micro Devices was an American semiconductor company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was incorporated in 1961 and administratively dissolved in 1991.[1]
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Industry | Electronics |
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Genre | Computer diodes, integrated circuit boards |
Founded | 1961 in Minnesota |
Defunct | 1965 |
Fate | Liquidated |
Headquarters | |
Website | https://amd.com/ |
![]() A model of
Vanguard 1 | |
Names | Vanguard TV-4 Vanguard Test Vehicle-Four |
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Mission type | Earth science |
Operator | Naval Research Laboratory |
Harvard designation | 1958-Beta 2 [2] |
COSPAR ID | 1958-002B |
SATCAT no. | 00005 |
Mission duration | Planned: 90 days In Orbit: 66 years, 4 months and 6 days |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Vanguard 1 |
Spacecraft type | Vanguard |
Manufacturer | Naval Research Laboratory |
Launch mass | 1.46 kg (3.2 lb) |
Dimensions | 152 mm (6.0 in) diameter, 3.0 ft (0.91 m) antenna span |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 17 March 1958, 12:15:41 GMT |
Rocket | Vanguard TV-4 |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-18A |
Contractor | Glenn L. Martin Company |
End of mission | |
Last contact | May 1964 |
Decay date | 2198 (estimated) ~ 240 years orbital lifetime [2] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit[3] |
Regime | Medium Earth orbit |
Perigee altitude | 654 km (406 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 3,969 km (2,466 mi) |
Inclination | 34.25° |
Period | 134.27 minutes |
Vanguard 1 (Harvard designation: 1958-Beta 2,[4] COSPAR ID: 1958-002B[2]) is an American satellite that was the fourth artificial Earth-orbiting satellite to be successfully launched, following Sputnik 1, Sputnik 2, and Explorer 1. It was launched 17 March 1958. Vanguard 1 was the first satellite to have solar electric power.[5] Although communications with the satellite were lost in 1964, it remains the oldest human-made object still in orbit, together with the upper stage of its launch vehicle.[2]
Vanguard 1 was designed to test the launch capabilities of a three-stage launch vehicle as a part of Project Vanguard, and the effects of the space environment on a satellite and its systems in Earth orbit. It also was used to obtain geodetic measurements through orbit analysis.[6] Vanguard 1, being small and light enough to carry with one hand, was described by the Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, as "the grapefruit satellite".[7]