Vanguard TV-3

Vanguard TV-3
Vanguard TV-3 spacecraft
NamesVanguard Test Vehicle-Three
Mission typeEarth science
OperatorU.S. Navy
Mission durationFailed to orbit (2 seconds)
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftVanguard 1A
Spacecraft typeVanguard
ManufacturerNaval Research Laboratory
Launch mass1.5 kg (3.3 lb) [1]
Dimensions16.3 cm of diameter
Start of mission
Launch date6 December 1957, 16:44:35 GMT
RocketVanguard TV-3
Launch siteCape Canaveral, LC-18A
ContractorGlenn L. Martin Company
End of mission
Decay dateFailed to orbit
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit (planned)
RegimeMedium Earth orbit
Perigee altitude654 km (406 mi)
Apogee altitude3,969 km (2,466 mi)
Inclination34.2°
Period134.2 minutes

Vanguard TV-3 (also called Vanguard Test Vehicle-Three), was the first attempt of the United States to launch a satellite into orbit around the Earth, after the successful Soviet launches of Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2. Vanguard TV-3 was a small satellite designed to test the launch capabilities of the three-stage Vanguard and study the effects of the environment on a satellite and its systems in Earth orbit. It was also to be used to obtain geodetic measurements through orbit analysis. Solar cells on Vanguard TV-3 were manufactured by Bell Laboratories.

At its launch attempt on 6 December 1957, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the booster ignited and began to rise, but about two seconds after liftoff, after rising about 1.2 m (four feet), the rocket lost thrust and fell back to the launch pad. As it settled, the fuel tanks ruptured and exploded, destroying the rocket and severely damaging the launch pad. The Vanguard 1A satellite was thrown clear and landed on the ground a short distance away with its transmitters still sending out a beacon signal. The satellite was damaged, however, and could not be reused. It is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution.[1]

The exact cause of the accident was not determined with certainty, but it appeared that the fuel system malfunctioned. Other engines of the same model were modified and did not fail.

  1. ^ a b "Vanguard TV3". NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.