Space And National Security Practice Test

Explorer I was launched on which date?

January 31, 1958 October 4, 1957 January 31, 1959 December 17, 1950

Correct Answer:

January 31, 1958

Explanation:

The date a mission actually lifts off is what this item tests, focusing on the exact launch moment of the first U.S. satellite. Explorer I, the United States’ first satellite and a milestone in the early space race, launched from Cape Canaveral on January 31, 1958, aboard a Juno I rocket. That date is the historical record for when the satellite left the ground and began its mission, which later yielded important science like evidence of the Van Allen radiation belts. The other dates correspond to different events or times not tied to Explorer I’s launch, so they don’t fit the event in question.

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