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Vanguard
Launched 1959-02-17 15:55 UTCLaunch Complex 18A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Success
Reached Medium Earth Orbit
Worldwide
2nd
orbital launch attempt in 1959
US Navy
1st
launch this year
Launch Complex 18A
1st
launch from this pad this year
Pad turnaround
144 d
since the pad's previous launch
Vanguard II is an Earth orbiting satellite and the first weather satellite. It was designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit for a period of 19 days and to provide information on the density of the atmosphere.
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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