Retcon article
(covers information that was retroactively changed)
(covers information that was retroactively changed)
Explorer S-55 was an artificial satellite, launched by NASA from the United States of America, and orbited Earth during the mid-20th century. An image of this satellite was stored in the library computer of the USS Enterprise. This image was later retrieved by the Talosians during their survey of the library computer's contents in 2254. (TOS: "The Cage")
The satellite Explorer S-55 was designed for the purpose of evaluating the effects of micrometeoroids on the hull of a spacecraft. Explorer S-55 was destroyed when its booster rocket failed in June 1961. Though this satellite failed, the program was notable for its scientific discoveries, including the finding of the Van Allen Belt.