Q: What was Explorer 20?

A: Explorer 20 was a NASA satellite and part of the Explorer program. Classified as an Earth observation satellite, it was also identified by the aliases Ionosphere 2 and Science S-48.

Q: When and how was Explorer 20 launched?

A: Explorer 20 was launched on August 25, 1964. It was deployed using a Scout X-4 rocket from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 5.

Q: What are the specific identifiers for Explorer 20?

A: The satellite is identified by the Satellite Catalog Number (SCN) 00870 and the COSPAR ID 1964-051A. It is also listed in the Google Knowledge Graph with the ID `/g/120vz0r5`.

Explorer 20

NASA satellite of the Explorer program

Vehicle Earth Observation Satellite Q3736073

Explorer 20 — NASA · Public Domain · Wikimedia

Facts

7 properties

Instance of: Earth observation satellite
Launch date: 1964-08-25
Launch vehicle: Scout X-4
Significant event: rocket launch^[4]
Space launch vehicle: Scout X-4^[2]
Start point: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 5^[5]
UTC date of spacecraft launch: August 25, 1964^[3]

🏷️ Also known as

en Explorer 20 en Ionosphere 2 en Science S-48 es Ionosphere Explorer fr IE-A fr Ionospheric Explorer-A fr S-48 fr TOPSI pl BE-A ru Эксплорер-20

🔖 Identifiers · 5

COSPAR ID: 1964-051A
Google Knowledge Graph ID: /g/120vz0r5
NSSDCA ID: 1964-051A
SCN: 00870
Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "00870"]

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🔗 Connections

Instance of 1

Earth observation satellite

Significant event 1

rocket launch

Space launch vehicle 1

Scout X-4

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Summary

Explorer 20 is an Earth observation satellite^[1].

⭐ Popularity Graph

9/100 long tail

🌐 Wiki Languages

8 / 430 langs

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Explorer 21

🌐 Available in 7 languages

enExplorer 20 deExplorer 20 esIonosphere Explorer frExplorer 20 itExplorer 20 plExplorer 20 ptExplorer 20

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

[2] ↑ Explorer 20 — space launch vehicle (P375): Scout X-4. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.
[3] ↑ Explorer 20 — UTC date of spacecraft launch (P619): August 25, 1964. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.
[4] ↑ Explorer 20 — significant event (P793): rocket launch. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.
[5] ↑ Explorer 20 — start point (P1427): Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 5. Jonathan's Space Report. wikidata.org.

Class ancestry

[1] ↑ Explorer 20 is an instance of Earth observation satellite (Q854845) [P31, primary]. Wikidata. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Explorer 20. Retrieved November 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/explorer-20

MLA “Explorer 20.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 10 Nov. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/explorer-20.

BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_explorer-20_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Explorer 20}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/explorer-20}, note = {Accessed: 2026-11-10}}

LLM prompt

According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): Explorer 20 — https://4ort.xyz/entity/explorer-20 (retrieved 2026-11-10)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/explorer-20 · Last refreshed: November 10, 2026