NASA's Cosmicopia -- History -- 1950-1959

1950

A U.S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) Viking research rocket was fired from the U.S.S. Norton Sound near Jarvis Island in the Pacific, at the intersection of the geographic and geomagnetic equators, to collect cosmic ray and pressure and temperature data.

1950

US National Science Foundation was created

1951

Ludwig Biermann found evidence for solar wind during his study of comet tails

1954

First measurements of high-energy cosmic rays via sampling of extended air showers done at the Harvard College Observatory.

1955

Emilio Segre' and team discovered the antiproton, for which he shared the 1959 Nobel Prize with Owen Chamberlain

1956

Clyde Cowan and Frederick Reines discovered the neutrino

1957

The State University of Iowa completed "Rockoon" (balloon-launched rocket) research at high latitudes which had begun in 1952. James A. Van Allen reported that scientific measurements had included:

the first survey of total cosmic-ray intensity at high altitude and high latitude
a survey of latitude variation of heavy nuclei in primary cosmic radiation
the discovery of X-radiation associated with aurorae
measurement of ultraviolet and soft X-radiation during solar flares
first measurements of terrestrial magnetic fields at high altitudes in the auroral zone.

U.S. scientific satellite equipment, including a radio transmitter and instruments for measuring temperature, pressure, cosmic rays, and meteoric dust encounters, was tested above Earth for the first time, as a rocket containing this equipment was fired by the Navy to a 126-mile altitude.

1957

The first artificial satellite, Sputnik, was launched by the Russians.

1958

The first American satellite, Explorer I, was launched.

1958

Mikesell and Rose made the first astronomical observations from at balloon at 12,000 meters

1958

James Van Allen discovered belts of radiation around the Earth

1958

Eugene Parker's theory of the solar wind was first published. As the Sun's magnetic field is carried out through the solar system by the solar wind, the Sun is rotating. Its rotation winds up the magnetic field into a large rotating spiral, known as the Parker spiral. With the Sun in the center of the image on the left, the Parker spiral is shown by the yellow arrows.

1959

Luna 1 - USSR Lunar Flyby, the first lunar flyby. Luna 1 first measured the solar wind.

1959

Konstantin Gringauz (USSR) flew "ion traps" on the Soviet Luna 2 and 3 missions, instruments measuring the total electric charge of arriving ions. He found that the signal fluctuated as the spacecraft spun around its axis, suggesting an ion flow was entering the instrument whenever it faced the Sun.

More about Luna 2 ...Luna 3...

1959

Explorer VII was launched into an Earth orbit. By late December, data from the satellite indicated possible relationships between solar events and geomagnetic storms, and revealed information about trapped radiation and cosmic rays near the Earth.

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The History of Cosmic Ray Studies

1950 - 1959