In this episode of The Big Picture, the U.S. Army’s television series, the Army satellites Explorer I and Explorer III are revealed for the first time. This documentary depicts the drama of the crucial 84 days before launching Explorer I, beginning on the morning of November 8, 1957, at Huntsville, Alabama, when a sudden meeting was called by Major General John B. Medaris with his staff, which included rocket scientist Dr. Wernher von Braun, and leading into the final countdown at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This video from the National Archives and Records Administration was filmed by the Army Signal Corps over five months and is narrated by Alexander Scourby. (30 minutes)
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