Program archive

Project Vanguard

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.

Missions: 14
People: 0
Vehicles: 12

Explore this program

Choose a path through the Project Vanguard archive.

Currently viewing · Timeline

Project Vanguard timeline

14 flights. One complete program record.

Follow every archived flight from the earliest development test through the program’s latest flown mission, with its defining milestones and mission hardware connected along the way.

Defining milestones

The turning points that shaped this program and its legacy.

1957 · First Vanguard orbital attemptVanguard TV-3TV-3 failed seconds after ignition, but the program recovered and reached orbit with Vanguard 1 three months later.Explore milestone →

Every Vanguard program record

All 14 flown and non-flight archive records arranged chronologically.

Launch corridor

14 flights and tests compressed into 1 expandable arc.

Arc 01Ignition1956–1959 · 14 records

Flight arc 01IgnitionVanguard TV-0 → Vanguard 31956–1959 · 14 records1956–1959
14 records