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Vanguard TV-3 |
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Vanguard TV-3 aftermath |
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It is December 6, 1957, and the U.S. is attempting its first satellite launch.
After rising four feet off the pad, the Vanguard TV-3 (Test Vehicle) loses
thrust, falls back to the pad, ruptures, and explodes. The payload (a Vanguard
satellite, nearly identical to the Vanguard I that was successfully orbited in 1958) is
thrown clear and lands a short distance away, its transmitters beeping away.
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Left photo courtesy of U.S. Navy / NASA (Photo ID: VAN-9)
Right photo
courtesy of Jerry Tritto
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