00:01On this day in space. On St. Patrick's Day in 1958, the U.S. Navy launched Vanguard 1,
00:07the first solar-powered satellite and the oldest artificial satellite currently orbiting the Earth.
00:12The main purpose of this mission was to test a new three-stage rocket. Vanguard 1 was the
00:17fourth satellite ever launched into space following Sputnik's 1 and 2 and Explorer 1.
00:21It looks a lot like a miniature version of Sputnik. Vanguard 1 was tiny compared to the
00:26satellites that came before it. It's about the size of a grapefruit and weighs only three pounds.
00:31Solar technology allowed the satellite to transmit signals to Earth for seven years,
00:35while battery-powered satellites couldn't even last a month. Scientists think the
00:39satellite will deorbit by the year 2198 after spending 240 years in space.
00:44And that's what happened on this day in space.
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