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Explorer-series
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| Explorer-1 | Explorer-93 |
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Explorer-series
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| Explorer-1 | Explorer-93 |
This page contains reference images for Explorer-series satellites. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.
Some of the Explorer-series satellites had additional names that make them part of other satellite series: Injun, SolRad, GEOS, and ISEE / ICE. When applicable these additional names are included in the table below. In particular, the following satellite names and numbers were synonymous:
| Injun | SolRad | GEOS | ISEE |
|---|---|---|---|
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Explorer-25 = Injun-4 Explorer-40 = Injun-5 Explorer-52 = Injun-6 |
Explorer-30 = SolRad-8 Explorer-37 = SolRad-9 Explorer-44 = SolRad-10 |
Explorer-29 = GEOS-1 Explorer-36 = GEOS-2 |
Explorer-56 = ISEE-1 Explorer-59 = ISEE-3/ICE4 |
| Launch information (found elsewhere) |
Reference images (immediately below) |
Launch covers (including anniversary-of-launch covers, and launch-related event covers) (found elsewhere) |
Other postal items (stamps, souvenir sheets, aerogrammes, postal cards, etc.) (found elsewhere) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer | Explorer | Explorer-1 | Explorer-1 |
| Explorer (except Explorer-1) | Explorer (except Explorer-1) |
| Satellite(s) | Launch Date(s) | Reference Image(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Explorer | ||
| Explorer-1 Explorer-2 [failed] Explorer-3 | 1958-01-31 1958-03-05 1958-03-26 |   
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| Explorer-4 Explorer-5 [failed] | 1958-07-26 1958-08-24 | 
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| Explorer-S1 / Explorer-7X [failed] Explorer-7 (S1A) | 1959-07-16 1959-10-13 |
     
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| Explorer-6 (S2) (like Pioneer-5)1 | 1959-08-07 |
   
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| Explorer-S46 [failed] | 1960-03-23 | 
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| Explorer-8 (S30) | 1960-11-03 |
 
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| Explorer-S56 [failed] Explorer-9 (S56A) Explorer-19 (ADE-A, S56B) Explorer-24 (ADE-B, S56C) Explorer-39 (ADE-C) | 1960-12-04 1961-02-16 1963-12-19 1964-11-21 1968-08-08 | 
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| Explorer-S45 [failed] Explorer-S45A [failed] | 1961-02-24 1961-05-24 |
  
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| Explorer-10 (P14) | 1961-03-25 |
 
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| Explorer-11 (S15) | 1961-04-27 |
 
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| Explorer-S55 [failed] Explorer-13 (S55A) Explorer-16 (S55B) Explorer-23 (S55C) | 1961-06-30 1961-08-25 1962-12-16 1964-11-06 |
 
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| Explorer-12 (EPE-A, S3) Explorer-14 (EPE-B, S3A) Explorer-15 (EPE-C, S3B) Explorer-26 (EPE-D) | 1961-08-16 1962-10-02 1962-10-29 1964-12-21 | 
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| Explorer-17 (AE-A, S6) | 1963-04-03 | 
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| Explorer-18 / IMP-1 (IMP-A) Explorer-21 / IMP-2 (IMP-B) Explorer-28 / IMP-3 (IMP-C) | 1963-11-27 1964-10-04 1965-05-29 |
  
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| Explorer-S66 (BE-A) [failed] Explorer-22 (S66a, BE-B) Explorer-27 (BE-C) | 1964-03-19 1964-10-09 1965-04-29 |
 
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| Explorer-20 (IE-A, S48, Topsi) | 1964-08-25 | 
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| Explorer-25 (IE-B) / Injun-4 | 1964-11-21 |
  
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| Explorer-29 / GEOS-1 (GEOS-A) Explorer-36 / GEOS-2 (GEOS-B) | 1965-11-06 1968-01-11 |
 
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| Explorer-30 (SE-A) / SolRad-8 | 1965-11-19 | 
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| Explorer-31 (DME-A) / ISIS-X | 1965-11-28 | 
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| Explorer-32 (AE-B) | 1966-05-25 |
 
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| Explorer-33 / AIMP-1 (IMP-D) Explorer-35 / AIMP-2 (IMP-E) | 1966-07-01 1967-07-19 |
  
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| Explorer-34 / IMP-4 (IMP-F) Explorer-41 / IMP-5 (IMP-G) | 1967-05-24 1969-06-21 |
 
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| Explorer-37 (SE-B) / SolRad-9 | 1968-03-05 |
 
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| Explorer-38 / RAE-1 (RAE-A) Explorer-49 / RAE-2 (RAE-B) | 1968-07-04 1973-06-10 |
    
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| Explorer-40 (IE-C) / Injun-5 | 1968-08-08 |
 
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| Explorer-42 (SAS-A) / Uhuru | 1970-12-12 |
 
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| Explorer-43 / IMP-6 (IMP-I) Explorer-47 / IMP-7 (IMP-H) Explorer-50 / IMP-8 (IMP-J) | 1971-03-13 1972-09-22 1973-10-26 |
   
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| Explorer-44 (SE-C) / SolRad-10 | 1971-07-09 | 
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| Explorer-45 (SSS-A / S-Cubed-A) | 1971-11-15 | 
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| Explorer-46 / MTS | 1972-08-14 | 
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| Explorer-48 (SAS-B) | 1972-11-15 |
 
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| Explorer-51 (AE-C) Explorer-54 (AE-D) Explorer-55 (AE-E) | 1973-12-16 1975-10-06 1975-11-20 |
 
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| Explorer-52 (IE-D) / Hawkeye / Injun-6 | 1974-06-03 |
 
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| Explorer-53 (SAS-C) | 1975-05-07 | 
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| Explorer: DAD-A (DADE-A), DAD-B (DADE-B) [failed] | 1975-12-05 | 
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| Explorer-56 / ISEE-1 (ISEE-A) | 1977-10-25 |
  
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| Explorer-57 (SAS-D) / IUE | 1978-01-26 |
 
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| Explorer-58 / HCMM / AEM-1 (AEM-A) | 1978-04-26 |
 
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| Explorer-59 / ISEE-3 (ISEE-C) / ICE2 | 1978-08-14 |
  
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| Explorer-60 / SAGE / AEM-2 (AEM-B) | 1979-02-18 |
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| Explorer-61 / MagSat | 1979-10-30 |
 
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| Explorer-62 (DE-1) Explorer-63 (DE-2) | 1981-08-03 1981-08-03 |
 
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| Explorer-64 / SME | 1981-10-06 |
 
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| Explorer-65 / AMPTE (CCE, IRM, UKS) | 1984-08-16 |
 
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| Explorer-66 / COBE | 1989-11-18 |
 (patch, early-design)3 (early-design)3 (final-design)3 (final-design)3
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| Explorer-67 / EUVE | 1992-06-07 |
 
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| Explorer-68 / SMEX-1 / SAMPEX (solar-observing mission) | 1992-07-03 |
 
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| Explorer-69 / XTE / RXTE (astronomy/telescope mission) | 1995-12-30 |
 
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| Explorer-70 / SMEX-2 / FAST | 1996-08-21 |
 
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| Explorer-71 / ACE | 1997-08-25 |
  
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| Explorer-72 / STEDI-1 / SNOE | 1998-02-26 | 
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| Explorer-73 / SMEX-4 / TRACE (solar-observing mission) | 1998-04-02 | 
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| Explorer-74 / SMEX-3 / SWAS (astronomy/telescope mission) | 1998-12-06 |
 
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| Explorer-75 / SMEX-5 / WIRE (astronomy/telescope mission) [failed] | 1999-03-05 | 
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| Explorer-76 / STEDI-2 / TERRIERS (solar-observing mission) [failed] | 1999-05-18 | 
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| Explorer-77 / MIDEX-0 / FUSE (astronomy/telescope mission) | 1999-06-23 |
 
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| Explorer-78 / MIDEX-1 / IMAGE | 2000-03-25 | 
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| Explorer-79 / HETE-2 | 2000-10-09 | 
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| Explorer-80 / MIDEX-2 / MAP / WMAP (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2001-06-30 | 
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| Explorer-81 / SMEX-6 / HESSI / RHESSI (solar-observing mission) | 2002-02-05 |
 
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| Explorer-82 / UNEX-1 / CHIPSat (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2003-01-12 | 
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| Explorer-83 / SMEX-7 / GALEX (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2003-04-28 | 
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| Explorer-84 / MIDEX-3 / Swift (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2004-11-20 | 
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| Explorer-85/89 / MIDEX-5A/5E / THEMIS-A/E | 2007-02-17 | 
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| Explorer-90 / SMEX-9 / AIM | 2007-04-25 | 
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| Explorer-91 / SMEX-10 / IBEX (solar-observing mission) | 2008-10-19 | 
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| Explorer-92 / MIDEX-6 / WISE / NGSS / NEOWISE (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2009-12-14 | 
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| Explorer-93 / SMEX-11 / NuSTAR (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2012-06-13 |
  (patch)
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| Explorer-94 / SMEX-12 / IRIS (solar-observing mission) | 2013-06-28 |
  (patch)
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| Explorer-95 / MIDEX-7 / TESS (astronomy/telescope mission) | 2018-04-18 | 
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| Explorer-96 / MIDEX-8 / ICON | 2019-10-11 |
 
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| Explorer-97 / SMEX-14 / IXPE | 2021-12-09 | Explorer-97 ( )
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1Explorer-6 and Pioneer-5 were similar "paddlewheel" satellites. It is believed that Explorer-6 contained two short antennas on its "top", whereas Pioneer-5 contained only a single short antenna. When there are no antennas on top, the distinction is unclear, but of the two, Pioneer-5 is assumed.
2Explorer-59 / ISEE-3 was renamed ICE in 1983.
3COBE (early-design) was intended for Space Shuttle launch; COBE (final-design) was intended for rocket launch.
4Explorer-59 / ISEE-3 was renamed ICE (International Cometary Explorer) in 1983.
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