Vanguard TV3
Vanguard TV3 was the program’s first attempt to launch a satellite with all three live stages. On December 6, 1957, the rocket rose only about four feet before first-stage thrust was lost; it fell back onto Launch Complex 18A and exploded, while the satellite was thrown clear and later recovered.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Vanguard TV3Vanguard Test Vehicle 3TV-3Vanguard Test Satellite
- Name
- Vanguard TV3
- Status
- failed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- Vanguard TV3 was the program’s first attempt to launch a satellite with all three live stages. On December 6, 1957, the rocket rose only about four feet before first-stage thrust was lost; it fell back onto Launch Complex 18A and exploded, while the satellite was thrown clear and later recovered.
- Destination
- No Earth orbit achieved; first-stage thrust loss caused the rocket to fall back onto Launch Complex 18A and explode
- End Date
- 1957-12-06
- Programs
- -
- Start Date
- 1957-12-06
- Vehicle Families
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 15, 2026 at 05:24:22 UTC
- Updated Time
- November 4, 2026 at 09:01:33 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles