# Explorer 47

> American satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q12014181](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12014181)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_47)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/explorer-47

## Summary
Explorer 47 is an American spacecraft classified as a space probe and recorded as an American satellite. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17 on 1972-09-23 aboard a Delta 1000 launch vehicle (COSPAR ID 1972-073A).

## Key Facts
- Explorer 47 is classified as a space probe (an unmanned robotic spacecraft), and is described as an American satellite.  
- COSPAR ID: 1972-073A.  
- NSSDCA ID: 1972-073A.  
- SCN (Satellite Catalog Number / identifier): 06197.  
- Launch date: 1972-09-23.  
- Launch site (start_point): Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17.  
- Launch vehicle: Delta 1000 series.  
- Significant recorded event: rocket launch at Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17 on 1972-09-23.  
- Wikimedia Commons image available: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Explorer-47_IMP-I.jpg.  
- Database and knowledge identifiers: Google Knowledge Graph ID /g/1pzpddcny; Wolfram Language entity code Entity["Satellite", "06197"].  
- Wikipedia title: Explorer 47; Commons category: Explorer-47.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Explorer 47?
A: Explorer 47 is an American spacecraft recorded both as a satellite and classified as a space probe (an unmanned robotic spacecraft). It is identified in space object registries under COSPAR ID 1972-073A.

### Q: When and where was Explorer 47 launched?
A: Explorer 47 was launched on 1972-09-23 from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17. The launch event is recorded as a rocket launch at that site on that date.

### Q: What launch vehicle carried Explorer 47?
A: Explorer 47 was launched on a Delta 1000 series launch vehicle.

### Q: How can I find official records or images of Explorer 47?
A: Official identifiers include COSPAR ID 1972-073A and NSSDCA ID 1972-073A; the SCN is 06197. An image is available on Wikimedia Commons at the provided file link.

## Why It Matters
Explorer 47 is part of the documented history of American spaceflight from the early 1970s. As an object cataloged with persistent identifiers (COSPAR ID 1972-073A, NSSDCA ID 1972-073A, and SCN 06197), it is a verifiable entry in international spacecraft registries and knowledge bases (including Google Knowledge Graph and the Wolfram Language). Its launch from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17 on 1972-09-23 aboard a Delta 1000 situates it in the operational record of U.S. orbital and deep-space launches of that era. The classification as a space probe indicates it belongs to the class of unmanned robotic spacecraft used for scientific exploration beyond routine Earth-orbiting satellites. Records and media (Wikimedia Commons image and Wikipedia entry) preserve technical and historical data useful to researchers, archivists, and educators who track spacecraft provenance, launch vehicles, and mission documentation. Because Explorer 47 is indexed across multiple authoritative databases, it serves as a reliable reference point for studies of spacecraft identification, launch history, and cataloging practices.

## Notable For
- Being assigned COSPAR ID 1972-073A and NSSDCA ID 1972-073A, linking it to international spacecraft registries.  
- Launch on 1972-09-23 from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17.  
- Use of a Delta 1000 series launch vehicle.  
- Classification as a space probe (unmanned robotic spacecraft) while also described in records as an American satellite.  
- Presence in multiple knowledge systems (Wikidata/Wikipedia, Google Knowledge Graph, Wolfram Language) and media archives (Commons image).

## Body
### Identification
- Name: Explorer 47.  
- Wikipedia title: Explorer 47.  
- Commons category: Explorer-47.  
- Wikimedia Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Explorer-47_IMP-I.jpg.

### Official identifiers
- COSPAR ID: 1972-073A.  
- NSSDCA ID: 1972-073A.  
- SCN: 06197.  
- Google Knowledge Graph ID: /g/1pzpddcny.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "06197"].

### Classification
- Instance of: space probe.  
- Wikidata description: American satellite.  
- Related class definition (space probe): an unmanned robotic spacecraft that does not orbit the Earth but explores further into outer space (definition provided in related material).

### Launch details
- Launch date: 1972-09-23.  
- Launch site (start_point): Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17.  
- Launch vehicle: Delta 1000 series.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch at Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17 on 1972-09-23.

### References and database presence
- The entity is recorded across multiple structured-data sources and knowledge systems (Wikidata/Wikipedia, Commons, NSSDCA/COSPAR identifiers, Google Knowledge Graph, Wolfram Language).  
- Sitelink count provided: 5 (languages: commons, en, es, gl, pt).

### Notes
- All facts in this entry are drawn from the provided structured properties and related material. No mission details, instrumentation, operators, or outcomes are asserted beyond the documented identifiers, classification, launch date, launch site, and launch vehicle.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report