 William J. O'Sullivan (right, standing) and an unidentified engineer with Beacon, June 1959. | |
| Country/ies of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Air Density |
| Status | Retired (1959) |
| Constellation size | |
| First launch | 1958 |
| Last launch | 1959 |
| Total launches | 2 |
Beacon was one of America's first satellite programs. A balloon satellite, its objective was to study atmospheric density at its orbital altitude and to be the first United States satellite visible to the naked eye. Booster problems caused both orbital attempts to end in failure.