Vanguard Vehicle Overview
A complete overview of the Vanguard launch vehicle, including launch stats, vehicle info and launch locations.
Basic Info
Name
Vanguard
Family
Vanguard
Manufacturer
First Launch
23 Oct 1957
Successful Launches
3
Failed Launches
8
Rocket Info
Status
Inactive
Stages
3
Length
23 m
Diameter
1.14 m
Launch Mass
10 tons
Thrust
123 kN
Reusability
Not Reusable
Payload Info
LEO Capacity
9 kg
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.
Launch Sites used by Vanguard
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Historic U.S. military rocket launch site, pivotal in space exploration and national security.