National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationScout X-4Launch Area 3, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
Explorer 23
Launched
November 6, 1964
Image: U.S. Air Force
Summary
Explorer 23 launched on a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scout X-4 from Launch Area 3, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA on November 6, 1964. It was National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 58th launch, 9th this year and humanity's 379th orbital launch attempt. It was the 7th Scout X-4 flight and the 5th this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Explorer 23, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 472 × 985 km orbit inclined 51.9°. 5 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Materials Science · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 7th Scout X-4 flight · 5th this yearNational Aeronautics and Space Administration's 58th launch9th this yearhumanity's 379th orbital launch attempt86th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Explorer 23 · NORAD 924 · 1964-074 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 5 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- EXPLORER 23
- Object ID
- 1964-074A
- Epoch
- 1964-11-06 19:47:20 UTC
- Mean motion
- 14.5126247 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0361468
- Inclination
- 51.9465°
- Ascending node
- 7.7759°
- Arg. of perigee
- 138.3817°
- Mean anomaly
- 224.4249°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 5
- 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
5 catalogued: 1 payload, 3 debris, 1 component; none still in orbit
- Explorer 23 · NORAD 924 · re-entered June 29, 1983
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The Explorer 23 or S 55c micrometeoroid satellite was the third in the series of S 55 micrometeoroid satellites orbited by NASA.
Pad
Launch Area 3, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
13th launch from Launch Area 3, 3rd this year · 24th from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
13 launches from this pad · 87 from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA
80 days after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USAOpen in maps
Questions
When did Explorer 23 launch?
Explorer 23 launched on November 6, 1964. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Explorer 23?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Explorer 23?
Scout X-4, flown by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Scout X-4 spec sheet
Where did Explorer 23 launch from?
Launch Area 3, Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA.
What orbit did Explorer 23 reach?
Explorer 23, one of 5 catalogued objects, reached a 472 × 985 km orbit inclined 51.9°.
How many satellites did Explorer 23 launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, no longer in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).