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Collection:
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NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Marjorie Townsend and SAS-1
Title
Marjorie Townsend and SAS-1
Title
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Full Description:
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Marjorie Townsend discusses the X-ray Explorer Satellite's performance with a colleague during preflight tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Townsend, a Washington DC native, was the first woman to receive an engineering degree from The George Washington University. She joined NASA in 1959 and later advanced to become the project manager of the Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS) Program.
The satellite shown in the picture, SAS-1, was the 42nd in NASA's Explorer series, a family of small, simple satellites sent to perform important scientific missions for minimal cost. The first Explorer satellite launched in 1958, months prior to the formation of NASA, initiating a program of exploration that has continued into the twenty-first century. SAS-1 continued the tradition of crucial science projects by carrying the first set of sensitive instruments designed to map X-ray sources both within and beyond our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Also known as Explorer 42 and the X-ray Explorer, it became the first American spacecraft launched by another country when an Italian space team launched it on December 12, 1970 from a mobile launch platform located in international waters off the coast of East Africa. It mapped the universe in X-ray wavelengths and discovered X-ray pulsars and evidence of black holes. The satellite was named Uhuru, which means freedom in Swahili, because it was launched from San Marco off the coast of Kenya on Kenya's Independence Day.
In the 1970's the Italian Government made Townsend a Knight of the Italian Republic Order for her contributions to the United States-Italian space efforts. In 1990, Townsend joined BDM International Inc., as the director of Space Systems Engineering with the Space Science and Applications Division.
Full_Description
Marjorie Townsend discusses the X-ray Explorer Satellite's performance with a colleague during preflight tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Townsend, a Washington DC native, was the first woman to receive an engineering degree from The George Washington University. She joined NASA in 1959 and later advanced to become the project manager of the Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS) Program.
The satellite shown in the picture, SAS-1, was the 42nd in NASA's Explorer series, a family of small, simple satellites sent to perform important scientific missions for minimal cost. The first Explorer satellite launched in 1958, months prior to the formation of NASA, initiating a program of exploration that has continued into the twenty-first century. SAS-1 continued the tradition of crucial science projects by carrying the first set of sensitive instruments designed to map X-ray sources both within and beyond our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Also known as Explorer 42 and the X-ray Explorer, it became the first American spacecraft launched by another country when an Italian space team launched it on December 12, 1970 from a mobile launch platform located in international waters off the coast of East Africa. It mapped the universe in X-ray wavelengths and discovered X-ray pulsars and evidence of black holes. The satellite was named Uhuru, which means freedom in Swahili, because it was launched from San Marco off the coast of Kenya on Kenya's Independence Day.
In the 1970's the Italian Government made Townsend a Knight of the Italian Republic Order for her contributions to the United States-Italian space efforts. In 1990, Townsend joined BDM International Inc., as the director of Space Systems Engineering with the Space Science and Applications Division.
Full Description
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Date:
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12/02/1970
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NASA Center:
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Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA_Center
Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Center
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Subject Category:
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Women
Subject_Category
Women
Subject Category
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Subject Category:
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Space Probes
Subject_Category
Space Probes
Subject Category
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Subject Category:
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Deep Space Studies
Subject_Category
Deep Space Studies
Subject Category
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Keywords:
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Satellite
Keywords
Satellite
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Explorer
Keywords
Explorer
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Marjorie
Keywords
Marjorie
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Townsend
Keywords
Townsend
Keywords
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Keywords:
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SAS-1
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Keywords:
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42
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Keywords:
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Small
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Keywords:
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Astronomy
Keywords
Astronomy
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Program
Keywords
Program
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Women
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Keywords:
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X-
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Keywords:
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ray
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Keywords:
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Uhuru
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Keywords:
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Italy
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Keywords:
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Kenya
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Keywords:
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black
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Keywords:
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holes
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Keywords:
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pulsars
Keywords
pulsars
Keywords
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Keywords:
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San
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Keywords:
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Marco
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Audience:
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General Public
Audience
General Public
Audience
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facet_what:
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Explorer
facet_what
Explorer
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Uhuru
facet_what
Uhuru
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Washington
facet_where
Washington
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Kenya
facet_where
Kenya
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Italy
facet_where
Italy
facet_where
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facet_where:
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United States of America
facet_where
United States of America
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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1958
facet_when
1958
facet_when
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facet_when:
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1959
facet_when
1959
facet_when
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facet_when:
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1990
facet_when
1990
facet_when
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facet_when:
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twenty-first century
facet_when
twenty-first century
facet_when
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facet_when:
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December 12, 1970
facet_when
December 12, 1970
facet_when
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facet_when:
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12-02-1970
facet_when
12-02-1970
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1970
facet_when_year
1970
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1959
facet_when_year
1959
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1990
facet_when_year
1990
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1958
facet_when_year
1958
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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70-H-1489
Image_#
70-H-1489
Image #
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original_url:
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original_url
original_url
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UID:
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SPD-GRIN-GPN-2004-00 018
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2004-00 018
UID
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Center:
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GSFC
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Center Number:
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70-H-1489
Center_Number
70-H-1489
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2004-00018
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2004-00018
GRIN DataBase Number
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Creator-Photographer:
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NASA
Creator-Photographer
NASA
Creator-Photographer
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Original Source:
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Digital
Original_Source
Digital
Original Source
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