Vanguard SLV-3

Launch Failure

Liftoff Time (GMT)

15:38:00

Friday September 26, 1958

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Mission Details

Launch Notes

Second stage underperformed.

Vanguard SLV-3

Vanguard SLV-3 and Vanguard 2 were earth-orbiting satellites designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit. The spacecraft was a magnesium sphere 50.8 cm in diameter. It contained two optical telescopes with two photocells. The sphere was internally gold-plated and externally covered with an aluminum deposit coated with silicon oxide of sufficient thickness to provide thermal control for the instrumentation. Radio communication was provided by a 1 W, 108.03 MHz telemetry transmitter and a 10 mW, 108 MHz beacon transmitter that sent a continuous signal for tracking purposes. A command receiver was used to activate a tape recorder that relayed telescope experiment data to the telemetry transmitter. Both transmitters functioned normally for 19 days. The satellite was spin stabilized at 50 rpm, but telemetry data were poor because of an unsatisfactory orientation of the spin axis. The power supply for the instrumentation was provided by mercury batteries.

Medium Earth Orbit

1 Payload

10 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Vanguard

Active 1957 to 1959

United States Navy logo

Agency

US Navy

Rocket

Height: 23m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 10 kg

Liftoff Thrust

135 Kilonewtons

Stages

3

Launch Site

LC-18A

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

29 days

Stats

Vanguard


7th

Mission

6th

Mission of 1958

1958


21st

Orbital launch attempt