On March 19, 1964, NASA unsuccessfully attempted to launch a satellite called Beacon Explorer-A on a mission to study the ionosphere.
This is a region in Earth's upper atmosphere where radiation from the sun strips the electrons off atoms and molecules, creating a layer of ions and free electrons. Beacon Explorer-A was supposed to go count all those free electrons using a radio beacon, but it never reached orbit after it launched. After a smooth liftoff from Cape Kennedy, something went wrong with the Delta rocket's third stage. The third burn was supposed to last 40 seconds, but the engines cut off after 22 seconds. Beacon Explorer-A re-entered Earth's atmosphere somewhere over the south Atlantic Ocean, and it was destroyed.
This is a region in Earth's upper atmosphere where radiation from the sun strips the electrons off atoms and molecules, creating a layer of ions and free electrons. Beacon Explorer-A was supposed to go count all those free electrons using a radio beacon, but it never reached orbit after it launched. After a smooth liftoff from Cape Kennedy, something went wrong with the Delta rocket's third stage. The third burn was supposed to last 40 seconds, but the engines cut off after 22 seconds. Beacon Explorer-A re-entered Earth's atmosphere somewhere over the south Atlantic Ocean, and it was destroyed.
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TechTranscript
00:00On this day, in space.
00:04On March 19, 1964, NASA unsuccessfully attempted to launch a satellite
00:08called Beacon Explorer A on a mission to study the ionosphere.
00:12This is a region in Earth's upper atmosphere where radiation from the sun strips the electrons off atoms
00:16and molecules, creating a layer of ions and free electrons.
00:20Beacon Explorer A was supposed to go count all those free electrons using a radio beacon,
00:24but it never reached orbit after it launched. After a smooth liftoff from Cape Kennedy,
00:28something went wrong during the Delta rocket's third stage.
00:32The third burn was supposed to last 40 seconds, but the engines cut off after 22 seconds.
00:36Beacon Explorer A re-entered Earth's atmosphere somewhere over the South Atlantic Ocean,
00:40and it was destroyed. And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:44Music
00:48Music
00:52Music