Explorer 42 (Uhuru / SAS-A), NASA’s first satellite dedicated to X-ray astronomy. Scout B from Italy’s San Marco mobile platform off Kenya lofted it on 12 December 1970 into near-equatorial LEO, discovering many celestial X-ray sources.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- LEO
- Low Earth orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 143 kg
- Flight
- 17th
- of 20 Scout B flights
- Date and time
- 12 December 1970, 10:53 UTC
- Rocket
- Scout B
- Builder
- Vought
- Launch site
- San Marco platform, Broglio Space Center, Kenya
- Payload
- Astrophysics
- International designator
- 1970-107
- Launches in 1970
- 116th of 124
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
Object pages on Space Atlas: Uhuru
View satellites in Space Atlas