The Oldest Thing in Orbit
A little satellite the size of a grapefruit has been circling the Earth since 1958, silent for decades. It may stay up for another 200 years.
What was reported
Vanguard 1 was the fourth satellite ever launched and the second American one, in March 1958. It weighed only 1.5 kilograms, and the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev mocked it as 'the grapefruit satellite'. It was one of the first to use solar cells.
Its radio fell silent in 1964, but it's still up there, higher than most satellites, the oldest human-made object in orbit. Its predecessors have long since burned up.
Explanations offered
Its high orbit means very little air drags on it, so it's expected to stay up for around two centuries. Scientists have used its long-tracked path to study the shape of the Earth and the upper atmosphere.
- When
- Since 17 March 1958
- Where
- In orbit since 1958, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
- Witnesses
- Tracking stations for more than 65 years
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.