The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

An early U.S. Navy–led project intended to launch
America’s first Earth satellite. It began in 1955, at
a time of intense interservice rivalry, having been
selected ahead of two competitors based on the Redstone
and Atlas launch vehicles. The fact that this
decision was a mistake is now well documented. Multiple
launch failures marred the project, and it was
beaten to its goal by both the Soviet Union with
Sputnik 1 and the U.S. Army with Explorer 1. However,
it eventually succeeded in placing three satellites
in orbit. Shortly after the final launch, the Vanguard
program was abandoned.
Vanguard 1 was the second U.S. satellite and the
third spacecraft overall to achieve Earth orbit. Its two
radio transmitters, which also functioned as temperature
gauges, continued to transmit for seven years.
Vanguard 1 remains the oldest human-made object in
space, and is expected to orbit Earth for about 1,000
years. Vanguard 2 returned the first photo from space.
(See table, “Vanguard Series.”)
Vanguard satellite chronology
Launch
Vehicle: Vanguard
Site: Cape Canaveral
Vanguard
Vanguard Series
Vanguard (Launch Vehicle)
A small three-stage rocket used in the Vanguard program.
Only four of seven test launches (designated TV
for “test vehicle”) were successful, including TV-4,
which placed Vanguard 1 in orbit, and only two of
Spacecraft Launch Date Orbit Mass (kg)
Vanguard 1A* Dec. 6, 1957 — 1.5
Vanguard 1B* Feb. 5, 1958 — 1.5
Vanguard 1 Mar. 17, 1958 654 × 3,868 km × 34.2° 1.5
Vanguard 2A* Apr. 29, 1958 — 1.5
Vanguard 2B* May 28, 1958 —
Vanguard 2C* Jun. 26, 1958 —
Vanguard 2D* Sep. 26, 1958 —
Vanguard 2 Feb. 17, 1959 557 × 3,049 km × 32.9° 10
Vanguard 3A* Apr. 14, 1959 — 10
Vanguard 3B* Jun. 22, 1959 — 10
Vanguard 3 Sep. 18, 1959 512 × 3,413 km × 33.4° 23
*Launch failures
Vanguard Vanguard 1. NASA
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