Probing

Early space satellites

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Explorer 20, 1964
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Explorer 10, 1961
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Explorer 11, 1961
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Ariel 1, 1962
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OSO 1, 1962
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Ranger 3, 1962
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Explorer 17, 1963
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Re-entry system, 1962
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Explorer S-45, 1961
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Tiros, 1962
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Vanguard III, 1959

I understand the space race as a ritualized form of the Cold War. By 1957 the first stage of the race had been won, with the Soviet Union launching Sputnik.

  1. Varian Associates
    Printed in: 1959
    Vintage Silver gelatin print
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Pre-flight photo of Vanguard III. A plastic shell was chosen to eliminate errors in magnetic measurement caused by eddy currents by rotation of the satellite.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  2. U.S.Air Force for NASA Photo by: Bob Special
    Printed in: 1961
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Explorer 10. Deep space probe for measuring the magnetic field in outer space and for interplanetary plasma measurements.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  3. U.S.Air Force for NASA Photo by: Bob Special
    Printed in: 1961
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Explorer 11 was the first satellite to be launched for the purpose of detecting the sources of high-energy gamma rays.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  4. U.S. Air Force for NASA
    Printed in: 1962
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Ariel 1, first british satellite, was among several satellites inadvertently damaged or destroyed by the Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test on July 9, 1962, and subsequent radiation belt.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  5. U.S.Air Force for NASA
    Printed in: 1962
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    OSO 1 (Orbital Solar Observatory). The spacecraft provided real-time data until May 1964, when the power cells failed.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  6. NASA
    Printed in: 1962
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Ranger 3 was NASA’s first attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon. The probe was unable to enter lunar orbit and flew past the moon.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  7. General Electric Re-Entry Systems Department
    Printed in: 1963
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and serial number verso
    Unknown device

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  8. NASA
    Printed in: 1963
    Vintage Silver gelatin print
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Explorer 17. Battery power failed on July 10, 1963. Three of the four pressure gauges and both electrostatic probes operated normally.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  9. Official NASA photo by: Special & McNearny
    Printed in: 1961
    Vintage Silver gelatin print
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Explorer S-45 was launched using a Juno-2 rocket. The spacecraft did not achieve orbit and did not receive an Explorer number.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  10. NASA
    Printed in: 1962
    Vintage Silver gelatin print
    20 x 25 cm
    Stamped and caption on verso
    Tiros was the first satellite that was capable of remote sensing of the Earth, enabling scientists to view the Earth from a new perspective: space.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection
  11. NASA
    Printed in: 1964
    Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper. Backprinting "A Kodak Paper"
    20 x 25 cm
    Hand written notes on verso
    Explorer XX. The satellite responses to command signals were not dependable after 20 December 1965, and the satellite transmitter, which was often spuriously turned on, did not respond to a turnoff command.

    All rights reserved. 2024 Strangelove Collection

  12. I have seen the dark universe yawning. Where the black planets roll without aim, where they roll in their horror unheeded, without knowledge, or luster, or name.

    H.P.Lovecraft
  1. NEW
    Nucleus
  2. Rocketmen
  3. Probing
  4. Thirteen
    Rocket
    Launches
  5. coming soon
  6. coming soon