Vanguard Launch Vehicle
Vanguard was the three-stage launch vehicle developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for the International Geophysical Year satellite program, with the Glenn L. Martin Company as prime contractor. Derived in part from Viking and Aerobee sounding-rocket technology, it made eleven complete-vehicle orbital attempts from 1957 to 1959 and placed Vanguard I, II, and III into orbit. Vanguard technologies and development practices later influenced launch vehicles including Delta.
Identity
- Aliases
- Project Vanguard launch vehicleNRL Vanguard
- Family Name
- Vanguard
- Full Name
- Vanguard Launch Vehicle
- Reusability
- expendable
- Slug
- vanguard-launch-vehicle
- Status
- retired
- Type
- rocket
Details
- Description
- Vanguard was the three-stage launch vehicle developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory for the International Geophysical Year satellite program, with the Glenn L. Martin Company as prime contractor. Derived in part from Viking and Aerobee sounding-rocket technology, it made eleven complete-vehicle orbital attempts from 1957 to 1959 and placed Vanguard I, II, and III into orbit. Vanguard technologies and development practices later influenced launch vehicles including Delta.
- Diameter M
- 1.1
- Engines
- Count
- 1
- Name
- General Electric X-405
- Placement
- core
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Aerojet-General AJ10
- Placement
- upper
- Count
- 1
- Name
- Grand Central 133-KS-2800 or ABL X-248
- Placement
- upper
- First Flight Year
- 1,957
- Height M
- 21.9
- Last Flight Year
- 1,959
- Liftoff Mass Kg
- 10,385
- Payload Capacity Kg
- Leo
- 24
- Stages Count
- 3
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/13/2026, 12:34:58 PM
- Updated Time
- 7/13/2026, 12:34:58 PM