NASA Explorer 7 Telemetry

Own a fragment of early space exploration with this authentic strip of magnetic tape, containing raw telemetry data from the Explorer 7 satellite. This section of tape, preserved in an acrylic display case with a certificate of authenticity, was cut from a larger spool recorded in October 1959.

Even before the first artificial satellites were launched, NASA was developing a global satellite-tracking network. By 1957, the Minitrack system—comprising 11 stations worldwide—was operational just in time for the launch of Sputnik 1. As more satellites entered orbit, these stations used interferometers to track their positions and velocities.

This particular section of tape originates from the Minitrack station in Johannesburg, South Africa, and captures data from Explorer 7 (also known as Iota 59). Launched in 1959, Explorer 7 provided groundbreaking scientific insights into Earth’s atmosphere, including the first satellite-based measurements of the planet’s heat balance. This pioneering research laid the foundation for NASA’s ongoing climate studies, just a year after the agency’s formation.

Although Explorer 7 stopped transmitting data after two years, it remains in orbit today—a silent testament to the dawn of space science. Now, you can own a genuine piece of this historic mission, a tangible connection to NASA’s early exploration of our planet from space.

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