Editing Explorer 7 (section)

{{Short description|Seventh satellite of the Explorer program}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                = Explorer 7
| names_list          = NASA S-1A
| image               = Installing Explorer VII.jpg
| image_caption       = Explorer 7 satellite
| image_size          = 300px

| mission_type        = [[Earth science]]
| operator            = [[NASA]]
| Harvard_designation = 1959 Iota 1
| COSPAR_ID           = 1959-009A
| SATCAT              = 00022
| mission_duration    = {{time interval|October 13, 1959, 15:30:04|August 24, 1961}} (achieved) <br/> {{time interval|October 13, 1959}} (in orbit)

| spacecraft          = Explorer VII
| spacecraft_type     = Science Explorer
| spacecraft_bus      = S-1A
| manufacturer        = [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]
| launch_mass         = {{cvt|41.5|kg}}
| dimensions          = {{cvt|76|xx|76|cm}}
| power               =

| launch_date         = 13 October 1959, 15:30:04 [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]<ref name="launchlog"/>
| launch_rocket       = [[Juno II]] (AM-19A)
| launch_site         = [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station|Cape Canaveral]], [[Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 5|LC-5]]
| launch_contractor   = [[Army Ballistic Missile Agency]]

| entered_service     = 13 October 1960
| disposal_type       = 
| last_contact        = 24 August 1961
| decay_date          =

| orbit_reference     = [[Geocentric orbit]]<ref name="Trajectory"/>
| orbit_regime        = [[Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis     = {{cvt|573|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis      = {{cvt|1073|km}}
| orbit_inclination   = 50.27°
| orbit_period        = 101.38 minutes
| apsis               = gee

| instruments         = Ground Based Ionospheric<br/>Heavy Primary Cosmic Rays<br/>Micrometeorite<br/>Solar X-Ray and Lyman-Alpha Radiation<br/>Thermal Radiation<br/>Trapped Radiation and Solar Protons

| programme           = '''Explorer program'''
| previous_mission    = [[Explorer 6]]
| next_mission        = [[Explorer S-46 (satellite)|Explorer S-46]]
}}

'''Explorer 7''' was a NASA satellite launched on 13 October 1959, at 15:30:04 [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]],<ref name="launchlog">{{cite web|url=https://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt|title=Launch Log |publisher=Jonathan's Space Report|date=21 July 2021|access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref> by a [[Juno II]] launch vehicle from [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station|Cape Canaveral Air Force Station]] (CCAFS) to an orbit of {{cvt|573|xx|1073|km}} and [[Orbital inclination|inclination]] of 50.27°.<ref name="Trajectory">{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1959-009A |title=Trajectory: Explorer 7 (1959-009A)|publisher=NASA|date=28 October 2021|access-date=2 November 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref> It was designed to measure [[X-ray astronomy|solar X-ray]] and [[Lyman-alpha line |Lyman-alpha flux]], trapped [[Solar energetic particles|energetic particles]], and heavy primary [[cosmic ray]]s. Secondary objectives included collecting data on [[Micrometeoroid|micrometeoroid penetration]], molecular sputtering and studying the Earth-atmosphere heat balance.<ref name="Display">{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1959-009A|title=Display: Explorer 7 (1959-009A)|publisher=NASA|date=28 October 2021|access-date=2 November 2021}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

[[File:Explorer 7 - cutaway.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Cutaway of Explorer 7]]