This satellite, appropriately labeled Transit 1A, was launched from Cape Canaveral (later renamed John F. Kennedy Space Center), Florida, on 17 September 1959. The 270-pound satellite flew only a suborbital trajectory because the third stage of its Thor-Able launch vehicle failed to ignite; however, all satellite systems operated as planned during the 24-minute flight and sufficient data were gathered to demonstrate the practicality of the satellite doppler tracking technique.