Vanguard | Vanguard II
Vanguard II is an Earth orbiting satellite and the first weather satellite. It was designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit for a period of 19 days and to provide information on the density of the atmosphere.
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.
When is the Vanguard | Vanguard II launch?
What rocket is being used for Vanguard II?
Where is the Vanguard | Vanguard II launching from?
What orbit is Vanguard II going to?
Who is launching Vanguard II?
Can I watch the Vanguard | Vanguard II launch live?
Mission Profile
Vanguard II was a Vanguard mission operated by US Navy that lifted off from Launch Complex 18A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA on February 17, 1959. The flight carried its payload on a earth science mission to Medium Earth Orbit. The launch was a success.