Explorer 1 waits for launch in Cape Canaveral, FL, in 1958

The transcript describes an object that is 80 inches long, 6 inches in diameter, and weighs 30.8 pounds. Despite its weight, it is valued at 100 times more than precious gems. The object contains an instrument package designed to measure cosmic rays, micrometeorite impacts, and temperatures, with data transmitted back via a radio transmitter.

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