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Vanguard
Launched 1958-09-26 15:38 UTCLaunch Complex 18A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
No cause has been given yet.
Launch failure
Target: Medium Earth Orbit
Vanguard lifted off with Vanguard, but the launch failed.
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Waiting on the Cause
No cause has been given yet. What US Navy finds will be added here, and to the updates below.
Vanguard was an American satellite and the fourth artificial Earth orbital satellite to be launched. It was the first satellite to have solar electric power.
The Navy was competed with the Army to put the first American satellite into orbit. Their first two Vanguard missions failed, with the second being a highly publicized failure, as it exploded on the launchpad. They went on to put 3 satellites into orbit but did not beat the Army to be the first. Their work in space continues today largely on military satellites.
Launches
18
Successful
3
17%
Upcoming
0
scheduled
Height
23m
Diameter
1.1m
To low Earth orbit
9kg
Liftoff thrust
123kN
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