MISSION NAME
Vanguard 7
Status
Failure
DATE
26 SEP 1958
LAUNCH PROVIDER
US Navy
Launch Pad
Launch Complex 18A
Description
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.
Vanguard
Rocket Description
The Vanguard rocket was intended to be the first launch vehicle the United States would use to place a satellite into orbit. Instead, the Sputnik crisis caused by the surprise launch of Sputnik 1 led the U.S., after the failure of Vanguard TV3, to quickly orbit the Explorer 1 satellite using a Juno I rocket, making Vanguard I the second successful U.S. orbital launch.