Literature

Explorer 1 was launched by the United States on January 31, 1958. It was the first satellite launched by the United States and it was eminently successful. Apart from validating Wernher von Braun's Jupiter C rocket, the satellite carried a cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth orbit. The data produced by this instrument led to the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation belts around the Earth and to major new insights into the way the Earth's magnetic field interacted with charged particles from the sun and beyond. "A permanent new landmark in the heavens, and a hazardous region to be traversed by future spacecraft, the Van Allen belts comprise giant lobes of charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field that extend thousands of kilometres into space" (Burrows, 2008). For more on the history of Explorer 1, go here.

Pickering, Van Allen and von Braun holding a model of Explorer 1 (for larger image, go here).

The program manager for Explorer 1 was Dr. Henry L. Richter, Jr. After this success, he continued within the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to oversee the scientific instrumentation for the Ranger, Mariner, and Surveyor Programs. When he left JPL, he continued his career in science and engineering. Two years ago, he published a book with the title: The Universe - A Surprising Cosmological Accident. The summary is as follows:

The universe is where we are, and an examination of it shows remarkable characteristics that allow human life to exist in this place where we live. In particular, the nature of our earth is ideally suited to support life from a wide variety of considerations. Besides human beings, there are all sorts of life forms that are formed the way they are in unique ways, each with its own perfection. What is the chance of this happening by accidental, random events? Come and tour many of these amazing scientific and biological facts and try to imagine how they came about. Accidents of nature? - - Can't be. Are we as people accidents of nature? Unthinkable!

As someone who has spent a life in science, it is interesting to know that Henry Richter finds no incompatibility between his professional work and the recognition of design in the natural world. His career has allowed him to acquire a unique appreciation of the Universe and life on Earth. He finds the "accidents of nature" thesis totally unconvincing. For further comments on Richter's convictions, go here. Design thinking needs to be prominent in the way we think about ourselves and the Cosmos.

A useful way to mark the 50th anniversary of Explorer 1 is to remind ourselves that science is not done in a philosophical vacuum. Whilst many scientists today have adopted philosophical materialism as their metaphysical foundation, the pioneers of science were theists and found ways of integrating their science with a theistic worldview. We are not without examples today of people who have distinguished themselves within the scientific community and have developed a worldview where science and theism are in harmony. Design thinking is a part of this worldview.

The Universe - A Surprising Cosmological Accident
by Henry L. Richter
Xulon Press, September 2006.

Book Description: A book intended to ask fundamental questions pointing out how unique an environment the solar system and earth provides to allow human life to exist - this is no accident!

See also:

Coppedge, D.F. Explorer 1 Chief Discovers Design, Creation-Evolution Headlines, 01/31/2008

Burrows, W.E. Van Allen remembered as belts turn 50, Nature 451, 523 (31 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/451523a