Program archive
Project Vanguard developed a civilian scientific satellite system for the International Geophysical Year and helped shape the technical and institutional beginnings of the U.S. space program.
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12 mission-specific spacecraft and test articles, plus 0 launch systems and shared hardware records.
Vanguard 1 was the second successful United States satellite and the first spacecraft powered by solar cells.
Vanguard 1A was developed by Project Vanguard as a geodetic and space-environment satellite.
Vanguard 2 was developed by Project Vanguard as a experimental weather and earth-science satellite.
Vanguard 3 was developed by Project Vanguard as a geophysics and space-environment satellite.
Vanguard SLV-1 satellite was developed by Project Vanguard as a solar ultraviolet and space-environment satellite.
Vanguard SLV-2 satellite was developed by Project Vanguard as a solar x-ray and space-environment satellite.
Vanguard SLV-3 satellite was developed by Project Vanguard as a experimental weather satellite.
Vanguard SLV-5 satellite was developed by Project Vanguard as a geomagnetic and atmospheric-density satellite.
Vanguard SLV-6 satellite was developed by Project Vanguard as a earth-radiation and climate satellite.
Vanguard TV-5 satellite was developed by Project Vanguard as a solar x-ray and space-environment satellite.
Launch vehicle / satellite test vehicleDecember 6, 1957Vanguard TV-3 was the United States Navy's first attempt to launch an artificial satellite into orbit.
The Vanguard rocket family grew from modified Viking sounding rockets into the first United States launch vehicle developed specifically for a civilian scientific-satellite program.