Electron 1 was launched with Electron 2 by a single launch vehicle in order to perform simultaneous investigations of the external and internal zones of the earth's radiation belt. Electron 1 had a cylindrical body that was 0.75 m in diameter and 1.3 m long and from which antennas and six solar cell panels were extended. The spacecraft was placed into an eccentric orbit that enabled it to study the internal zone of the radiation belt. It was equipped with micrometeorite detectors, a mass spectrometer, a proton detector, and instruments for recording the corpuscular emission and energy spectrum of electrons. A memory device was included so that observations over several orbits could be obtained by USSR telemetry stations when the satellite was within communications range. More details are in 'The Electron Space System,' Cosmic Research, Vol 2, No. 3, 1964.