United States Air ForceThor Delta BSpace Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Explorer 17
Launched
April 3, 1963
Image: NASA
Summary
Explorer 17 launched on an United States Air Force Thor Delta B from Space Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on April 3, 1963. It was United States Air Force's 135th launch, 9th this year and humanity's 236th orbital launch attempt. It was the 3rd Thor Delta B flight and the 2nd this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Explorer 17, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 255 × 912 km orbit inclined 57.7°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Thor Delta B · United States Air Force
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Earth Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 3rd Thor Delta B flight · 2nd this yearUnited States Air Force's 135th launch9th this yearhumanity's 236th orbital launch attempt12th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Explorer 17 · NORAD 564 · 1963-009 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- TBA - TO BE ASSIGNED
- Object ID
- 1963-009A
- Epoch
- 1963-04-03 05:07:46 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.97043373 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.047221
- Inclination
- 57.6998°
- Ascending node
- 122.6337°
- Arg. of perigee
- 50.653°
- Mean anomaly
- 313.4288°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; none still in orbit
- Explorer 17 · NORAD 564 · re-entered November 24, 1966
Delta 17 Stage 3 · re-entered November 24, 1963
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
Explorer 17 carried four pressure gauges for the measurement of total neutral particle density, two mass spectrometers for the measurement of certain neutral particle concentrations, and two electrostatic probes for ion concentration and electron temperature measurements.
Pad
Space Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
21st launch from Space Launch Complex 17A, 1st this year · 97th from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
145 launches from this pad · 1,131 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
110 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Explorer 17 launch?
Explorer 17 launched on April 3, 1963. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Explorer 17?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Explorer 17?
Thor Delta B, flown by United States Air Force. Thor Delta B spec sheet
Where did Explorer 17 launch from?
Space Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
What orbit did Explorer 17 reach?
Explorer 17, one of 2 catalogued objects, reached a 255 × 912 km orbit inclined 57.7°.
How many satellites did Explorer 17 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).