Explorer 6 was an American satellite designed to study trapped radiation of various energies, galactic cosmic rays, geomagnetism, radio propagation and the flux of micrometeorites. It also tested a scanning device designed for photographing the Earth's cloud cover, and transmitted the first pictures of Earth from a satellite. August 7, 1959 at 14:24 UTC · Launch Successful Thor Able III — United States Air Force, to Elliptical Orbit Space Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA The world's 43rd orbital launch attempt, and 12th of 1959. Data: Launch Library 2, The Space Devs.