As of 2023, there are 11,330 satellites in space. Throwing one up there isn’t exactly a big deal anymore.  But back in 1958, the launch of Explorer 1 (the O.G. American satellite) was groundbreaking.  

Much to NASA’s chagrin, it wasn’t the first ever satellite in space (that title belongs to Sputnik 1, with Sputnik 2 in second place) but it was the third, and it marked the beginning of the Cold War Space Race between the two nations.

After its launch in February, Explorer 1 stopped transmitting data on 23rd May 1958, when its batteries died, but the satellite stayed in orbit for more than 12 years and re-entered the atmosphere after circling the earth over 58,400 times.