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Vanguard
Orbital launch vehicle. Country: USA. Status: Retired 1959.

Vanguard was the 'civilian' vehicle developed by the US Navy to launch America's first satellite as part of the International Geophysical Year. The Army / von Braun Jupiter-C instead launched the first US satellite after Sputnik and Vanguard's public launch failure. The second stage design led to the Able upper stage for Thor/Atlas, and then to the Delta upper stage still in use in the 21st Century. The original version of Vanguard used a Grand Central final stage.

Manufacturer: NRL. Launches: 12. Failures: 8. Success Rate: 33.33%. First Launch Date: 1957-10-23. Last Launch Date: 1959-09-18. Launch data is: complete. LEO Payload: 9.00 kg (19.80 lb). to: 200 km Orbit. Associated Spacecraft: Vanguard 1, Vanguard 2, Vanguard 3. Liftoff Thrust: 123.900 kN (27,854 lbf). Total Mass: 10,050 kg (22,150 lb). Core Diameter: 1.14 m (3.74 ft). Total Length: 23.00 m (75.00 ft). Flyaway Unit Cost $: 5.660 million. in: 1985 unit dollars.

  • Stage1: 1 x Vanguard. Gross Mass: 7,661 kg (16,889 lb). Empty Mass: 811 kg (1,787 lb). Motor: 1 x X-405. Thrust (vac): 134.792 kN (30,302 lbf). Isp: 270 sec. Burn time: 145 sec. Length: 12.20 m (40.00 ft). Diameter: 1.14 m (3.74 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene.
  • Stage2: 1 x Able. Gross Mass: 1,884 kg (4,153 lb). Empty Mass: 429 kg (945 lb). Motor: 1 x AJ10-40. Thrust (vac): 34.690 kN (7,799 lbf). Isp: 270 sec. Burn time: 115 sec. Length: 5.67 m (18.60 ft). Diameter: 0.81 m (2.65 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH.
  • Stage3: 1 x Vanguard 3. Gross Mass: 210 kg (460 lb). Empty Mass: 31 kg (68 lb). Motor: 1 x GCRC. Thrust (vac): 11.562 kN (2,599 lbf). Isp: 230 sec. Burn time: 31 sec. Length: 2.00 m (6.50 ft). Diameter: 0.50 m (1.64 ft). Propellants: Solid.
Version:

Vanguard X-248.
Vanguard
Credit - © Mark Wade

Version of Vanguard with X-248 upper stage.

LEO Payload: 20 kg (44 lb). Apogee: 3,000 km (1,800 mi). Liftoff Thrust: 120.000 kN (26,970 lbf). Total Mass: 10,000 kg (22,000 lb). Core Diameter: 1.14 m (3.74 ft). Total Length: 22.10 m (72.50 ft).

  • Stage1: 1 x Vanguard. Gross Mass: 7,661 kg (16,889 lb). Empty Mass: 811 kg (1,787 lb). Motor: 1 x X-405. Thrust (vac): 134.792 kN (30,302 lbf). Isp: 270 sec. Burn time: 145 sec. Length: 12.20 m (40.00 ft). Diameter: 1.14 m (3.74 ft). Propellants: Lox/Kerosene.
  • Stage2: 1 x Delta A. Gross Mass: 2,164 kg (4,770 lb). Empty Mass: 694 kg (1,530 lb). Motor: 1 x AJ10-118. Thrust (vac): 33.803 kN (7,599 lbf). Isp: 271 sec. Burn time: 115 sec. Length: 5.36 m (17.58 ft). Diameter: 0.84 m (2.75 ft). Propellants: Nitric acid/UDMH.
  • Stage3: 1 x Vanguard 3. Gross Mass: 210 kg (460 lb). Empty Mass: 31 kg (68 lb). Motor: 1 x GCRC. Thrust (vac): 11.562 kN (2,599 lbf). Isp: 230 sec. Burn time: 31 sec. Length: 2.00 m (6.50 ft). Diameter: 0.50 m (1.64 ft). Propellants: Solid.
Vanguard Chronology

1955 March 19 - Plan for a United States satellite in the International Geophysical Year Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. Dr. Alan T. Waterman of the National Science Foundation presented President Dwight Eisenhower with a plan to implement the United States' portion of the International Geophysical Year satellite experiment.

1955 July 29 - Eisenhower approves earth satellites for IGY Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. President Eisenhower endorsed the IGY proposal for the launching of small earth-circling satellites.

1955 August 1 - Vanguard selected to launch first US satellite. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Ad Hoc Committee on Special Capabilities rejects Army/Von Brauns's Project Orbiter (Redstone) and USAF Atlas proposals; selects Navy/Vanguard for first US satellite.

1955 September 9 - Project Vanguard began operations. Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. The Department of Defense's Stewart Committee reviewed the alternatives for an IGY satellite program: wait for the development of an Atlas launcher, use a modified Redstone, or develop a rocket derived from the Viking missile. The committee voted seven to two in favor of abandoning Project Orbiter (Redstone) and developing Vanguard (Viking derivative with and Aerobee-Hi upper stage). Secretary Donald Quarles ruled with the committee majority in the Department of Defense Policy Committee, which approved the decision. The Department of Defense wrote a letter to the Department of Navy authorizing the Navy Research Laboratory to proceed with the Vanguard proposal. The responsibility for carrying out the program was placed with the Office of Naval Research. Objectives of Project Vanguard were: to develop and procure a satellite-launching vehicle; to place at least one satellite in orbit around the earth during IGY; to accomplish one scientific experiment; and to track flight to demonstrate the satellite actually attained orbit.

1955 October 7 - Vanguard contract awarded. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Prime contract for Project Vanguard awarded the Martin Co.

1957 April 11 - Vanguard payload tested on sounding rocket. U.S.-IGY scientific satellite equipment, including a radio transmitter and instruments for measuring temperature, pressure, cosmic rays, and meteoric dust encounters, was tested above earth for the first time, as a rocket containing this equipment was fired by the Navy to a 126-mile altitude.

1957 May 1 - Vanguard suborbital test. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Vanguard Test Vehicle (TV-1), a modified Martin Viking first-stage and Vanguard solid-propellant third-stage Grand Central Rocket as second-stage, launched with instrumented nose cone to an altitude of 121 miles and met all test objectives.

1957 October 1 - Vanguard tracking system operational. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Project Vanguard world-wide tracking system (minitrack) became operational.

1957 October 9 - Vanguard supported by Eisenhower. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. President Eisenhower in a White House press release congratulated the Soviet scientists on SPUTNIK I. He gave a brief history of the development of the U.S.-IGY satellite program and pointed to the separation of Project Vanguard from work on ballistic missiles.

1957 October 23 - 19:22 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard TV-2 Vanguard TV2 test Agency: USN. Apogee: 175 km (108 mi). IGY Vanguard prototype (TV-2) with simulated second and third stage successfully met test objectives, by reaching 109-mile altitude and 4,250 mph.

1957 December 6 - 16:44 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard TV-3 FAILURE: Vehicle lost thrust and exploded after 2 seconds. Vanguard 1A Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Agency: U.S. Navy. First US orbital attempt. IGY Vanguard (TV-3), the first with three live stages, failed to launch a test satellite.

1958 February 5 - 07:33 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard TV-3BU FAILURE: Control system malfunction - control lost after 57 sec. Vanguard 1B Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Agency: U.S. Navy. Apogee: 6.00 km (3.70 mi). Trial firing of IGY Vanguard (TV-3Bu) satellite.

1958 March 17 - 12:15 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard TV-4 Vanguard 1 Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Agency: U.S. Navy. Perigee: 654 km (406 mi). Apogee: 3,868 km (2,403 mi). Inclination: 34.20 deg. Period: 133.20 min. Transmitted pear-shaped earth data. Life expectancy of perhaps a 1,000 years. The satellite had a mass of 1.6 kg and a diameter of 175 cm.

1958 April 29 - 02:53 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard TV-5 FAILURE: Third Stage failed to ignite. Vanguard 2A Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Agency: U.S. Navy. Apogee: 550 km (340 mi).

1958 May 28 - 03:46 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard SLV-1 FAILURE: Improper third stage trajectory - unknown cause. Vanguard 2B Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. Agency: U.S. Navy. Apogee: 3,500 km (2,100 mi).

1958 June 26 - 05:00 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard SLV-2 FAILURE: Premature second stage cutoff. Unknown cause. Vanguard 2C Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. Agency: U.S. Navy. Apogee: 165 km (102 mi).

1958 September 26 - 15:38 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard SLV-3 FAILURE: Insufficient 2nd stage thrust - unknown cause. Vanguard 2D Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. Agency: U.S. Navy. Apogee: 426 km (264 mi).

1959 February 17 - 15:55 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard SLV-4 Vanguard 2 Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 2. Agency: NASA. Perigee: 557 km (346 mi). Apogee: 3,049 km (1,894 mi). Inclination: 32.90 deg. Period: 122.80 min. Operated for 18 days; satellite wobble degraded data.

1959 April 14 - 02:49 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard SLV-5 FAILURE: Stage 2 damaged at separation. Vanguard 3A Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 3. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

1959 June 22 - 20:16 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard SLV-6 FAILURE: Stage 2 propulsion malfunction. Vanguard 3B Mass: 10 kg (22 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 3. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi).

1959 September 18 - 05:20 GMT - Cape Canaveral LC18A. Vanguard X-248 SLV-7 Vanguard 3 Mass: 23 kg (50 lb). Spacecraft: Vanguard 3. Agency: U.S. Navy. Perigee: 512 km (318 mi). Apogee: 3,413 km (2,120 mi). Inclination: 33.40 deg. Period: 126.40 min. Radiation, micrometeoroid data. Third stage failed to separate from payload. The TV-4BU burned-out third stage was left attached to the payload since the fiberglas case did not adversely affect the experiments.

1960 March 17 - Vanguard second anniversary. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. VANGUARD I still in orbit and transmitting on its second anniversary after traveling 131,318,211 miles. NASA reported that VANGUARD I orbit was being altered by solar pressure.

1961 March 17 - Vanguard third anniversary. Spacecraft: Vanguard 1. Vanguard I completed third year in orbit and was still transmitting. Vanguard I provided much useful data on orbits, including the slight pear-shape of the Earth and the effect of solar pressure. Vanguard also provided the second stage for the Able, Delta, and Able-Star, as well as the third stage of Scout, pioneering solid-propellant stages used in Polaris and Minuteman.

Bibliography:

  • McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page (launch records), Harvard University, 1997-present. Web Address when accessed: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
  • JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. Web Address when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html.
  • Emme, Eugene M, Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of Science and Technology in the Exploration of Space 1915-1960, NASA, 1961. Web Address when accessed: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html.
  • Emme, Eugene M, Aeronautical and Astronautical Events of 1961 Report of NASA to the Committee on Science and Astronautics US House of Representatives 87th Cong 2d Sess, NASA, 1962. Web Address when accessed: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/timeline.html.
  • Koelle, Heinz Hermann,, Handbook of Astronautical Engineering, McGraw-Hill,New York, 1961.
  • Ordway, Frank, and Sharpe, Mitchell, The Rocket Team, Collector's Guide Publishing, Ontario, Canada, 2000.
  • Bramscher, Robert G, Spaceflight, "A Survey of Launch Vehicle Failures", 1980, Volume 22, page 351.
  • McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. Web Address when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html.
  • Grimwood, James M., Project Mercury: A Chronology, NASA Special Publication-4001.
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Vanguard
Credit- NASA
Vanguard
Credit- © Mark Wade
Vanguard explodes
Credit- NASA
The explosion of Vanguard in America's first launch attempt