The United States launches the 64-kg Explorer 6 satellite. Its perigee is 237 km and its apogee is 41,900 km. This allows it to observe and characterize the Van Allen radiation belts. As a token of gratitude, at the end of the mission, a missile, part of the Bold Orion project, is fired at it, passing just 6,400 m away. This experiment is also considered a success.
