Vanguard 2 (Vanguard 2E), launched on Vanguard SLV-4 from Cape Canaveral LC-18A. First NASA-directed Vanguard success and the world's first weather-observation satellite, returning cloud-cover data from an elliptical medium Earth orbit despite spin/wobble that limited imaging.
- Outcome
- Success
- Orbit
- MEO
- Medium Earth orbit
- Payload to orbit
- 10 kg
- Flight
- 8th
- of 11 Vanguard flights
- Date and time
- 17 February 1959, 15:55 UTC
- Rocket
- Vanguard
- Builder
- LM
- Launch site
- Launch Complex 18A, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
- Payload
- Earth Science
- International designator
- 1959-001
- Launches in 1959
- 2nd of 23
See it in orbit
Space Atlas shows the satellites and rocket stages from this launch in 3D.
Object pages on Space Atlas: Vanguard 2
View satellites in Space Atlas