Vanguard

Robert H. Goddard and colleagues examine rocket components after l9 May 1987 rocket flight

The Navy's High-Altitude Test Vehicle (HATV)

RAND Corporation proposal for a rocket to launch an "Earth Circling Satellite," 1951

Aerobee-Hi, Bumper-Wac, and Viking 10

A Redstone rocket on the static-firing test stand

Meeting on Project Orbiter

Homer J. Stewart

White House press conference, 28 July 1955, announcing United States participation in IGY satellite program

Atlas-B launch

Breadboard display of miniaturized components for Vanguard

Schematic of Vanguard trajectory

John P. Hagen, Director of Project Vanguard

Vanguard engines

Some of Project Vanguard key staff

Artist's conception of Vanguard, 1956, and cutaway view of Vanguard launch vehicle

Diagram of the plan of Operation 10 Project Moonwatch

Conference in the director's office

Blockhouse used by Project Vanguard at Cape Canaveral

Schematic of a typical Minitrack station

The Baker-Nunn satellite tracking camera and diagram of components

Interior of Minitrack tracking van

Network of primary Minitrack stations, 25 January 1957 and Schematic of a typical Minitrack antenna system

Sketch of the central IBM computing center in Washington, D.C,..

Project Vanguard's major line, policy, and working channels

Steps in assembly of Vanguard

TV-0 on the launch stand at Cape Canaveral, launched 8 December 1956

Successful launch of TV-1, l May 1957

Project Vanguard staff meeting at NRL

Second stage of Vanguard is hoisted into position

Launch of the difficult TV-2, 28 October 1957

Cartoon reaction to Sputnik I

Minitrack antenna arrays

Sketch of the minimum six-inch satellite intended for TV-3

Sketches of propulsion systems for first and second stages of Vanguard..

TV-3 launch, 6 December 1957, before explosion

Explorer I, first United States satellite, launched by ABMA 31 January 1958; Wernher von Braun, James Van Allen, and William Pickering

TV-4 launch 17 March 1958 and the 3 1/2 pound, 6.4-inch Vanguard I it put into orbit

People on the ground sweat out the launch of Vanguard I

Sketch and photograph of the first of the "operational" 20-inch Vanguard satellites

SLV-l, the first "operational" Vanguard launch vehicle

New movable firing structure used in launch of SLV-3, 26 September 1958

Vanguard II launch 17 February 1959

Photo of Vanguard II in orbit taken by Smithsonian's Baker-Nunn camera at Woomera, Australia

Launch of Vanguard III, 18 September 1959, and sketches of the three successful Vanguard satellites

Ad hoc committee meeting at the Boulder Laboratories of the National Bureau of Standards. 16 December 1959, discusses continued operation of the United States World Data Centers set up during the IGY