Photo: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA-MSFC) · Public domain (US government)
About this launch
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.
More about this launch
Flight profileThe climb, seen from the side · 3D replay on the globe
Launch window and padCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
- Site
- Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Rocket and boosterVanguard
MissionEarth Science · MEO
Earth Science · MEO
What it put in orbit5 catalogued objects, 1 of them satellites
| Object | Type | Orbit | Globe |
|---|---|---|---|
| VANGUARD 2 1959-001A | Payload | 553 × 2893 km · 32.9° | Globe |
| VANGUARD R/B 1959-001B | Rocket body | 556 × 3283 km · 32.9° | Globe |
| VANGUARD DEB 1959-001C | Debris | re-entered 1982-11-22 | |
| VANGUARD DEB 1959-001D | Debris | re-entered 2007-10-23 | |
| VANGUARD DEB 1959-001E | Debris | 531 × 2441 km · 32.9° | Globe |
COSPAR ID 1959-001. Orbits from the CelesTrak satellite catalogue (perigee × apogee, inclination).
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