Pioneer 3 launchIn 1958, the U.S. army's moon probe, Pioneer 3, was launched, but due to depletion of propellant, fell back to Earth after reaching 65,000 miles into space. Although it failed in its first objective of a lunar flyby, there was still scientific success because its detection equipment provided two almost complete cross-sections of space surrounding the Earth. There are two sharply defined bands of radiation girdling the earth. The first one lies between 1,400 and 3,400 miles from the earth’s surface; the second is between 8,000 and 12,000 miles out. Dr. James Van Allen reported that radiation in the heart of each belt was measured and compared with the count in between the bands.« |
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