Van Allen radiation belt confirmed

The confirmation of the Van Allen radiation belt was a pivotal achievement in space exploration, stemming from the United States' Explorer 1 mission. This mission was launched as part of the International Geophysical Year, a global scientific collaboration aimed at advancing knowledge about the Earth and its environment. The Explorer 1 satellite was equipped with scientific instruments designed to measure cosmic rays, which are high-energy particles originating from outer space. During its mission, Explorer 1 collected data that indicated the presence of a zone of charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field, which would later be named the Van Allen radiation belt after physicist James Van Allen, who was instrumental in the mission's scientific objectives. The discovery of this radiation belt provided critical insights into the Earth's magnetosphere and its interaction with solar wind, enhancing our understanding of space weather and its potential effects on satellites and astronauts.