Space · launch vehicle
Vanguard
LMT
RETIRED
At a glance
Launches
11
Success rate
27.3%
3 ok · 8 failed
Payload to LEO
9 kg
Payload to GTO
—
Manufacturer
Lockheed MartinStatus
RetiredFirst flight
23 Oct 1957Reusable
NoHeight
23 mDiameter
1.14 mLaunch mass
10 tLiftoff thrust
123 kNStages
3Launch cost
—Booster landings
—Links
WikipediaAbout
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.
Source The Space Devs — Launch Library 2
Last checked 29 Sept 2026