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Visualize NASA Missions

This representation by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio shows the orbits of NASA-related near-Earth science missions from the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, in 1958 through 2017. The missions include both NASA-run missions and those operated by NASA and partner organizations.

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Explorer 1: Celebrating 60 Years in Space

Less than a lifetime ago, humankind just barely left the limits of Earth's atmosphere. Who could have imagined that only 60 years later we would be touching the surface of the Sun, arriving at the most distant object humans have ever explored, and soon to be launching the world's most powerful telescope to get a glimpse of the first galaxies born after the Big Bang? As NASA celebrates the 60th Anniversary of Explorer 1, the satellite that blazed the way for hundreds of missions to follow, some of the most ambitious explorations are yet to come.

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