Name: Vanguard — Vanguard
Start: 1959-04-14T02:49:46Z
End: 1959-04-14T02:49:46Z
Location: Launch Complex 18A

Question 1

What rocket is launching Vanguard?

Accepted Answer

Vanguard is launching on the Vanguard.

Question 2

Who is launching Vanguard?

Accepted Answer

Vanguard is being launched by US Navy, a government launch provider founded in 1963.

Question 3

Where is Vanguard launching from?

Accepted Answer

Vanguard is launching from Launch Complex 18A at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is Vanguard heading to?

Accepted Answer

Vanguard is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Vanguard reusable?

Accepted Answer

No — the Vanguard is an expendable launch vehicle.

Question 6

How many times has the Vanguard flown?

Accepted Answer

The Vanguard has launched 11 times to date, with 3 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the Vanguard mission?

Accepted Answer

The Vanguard satellite was a 13 inch spherical satellite which contained a precise magnetometer to map the Earth's magnetic field. The satellite was lost together with the Vanguard Balloon when the Vanguard launch vehicle second stage was damaged during staging.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

Vanguard

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Launch Complex 18A

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions