Vanguard SLV-2

Vanguard SLV-2, also called Vanguard Satellite Launch Vehicle-2 hoped to be the second successful flight of the American Vanguard rocket following successful Vanguard 1 satellite on rocket Vanguard TV-4. Vanguard SLV-2 launched on 26 June 1958 at 05:00 GMT. It was launched from Launch Complex 18A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The second stage engine shut down after only 8 seconds of operation, resulting in insufficient velocity to put the satellite into orbit. The investigation concluded that scale from the second stage oxidizer tank had clogged propellant feed lines and resulted in loss of thrust.[1][2][3][4][5]

The satellite Vanguard 2C being examined at Cape Canaveral
Vanguard rocket on LC-18A prior to its launch

Vanguard SLV-2 hoped to put into orbit the Vanguard 2C satellite, a Lyman Alpha satellite, with a magnetosphere measurement device. The satellite payload was 10 kg (22 lb). Vanguard SLV-2 only reached an altitude of 165 km (103 mi), the goal was 3,840 km (2,390 mi) to orbit.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. NASA Vanguard Satellite Launch Vehicle, May 1961
  2. NASA, NASA History Vanguard
  3. NASA, Aeronautics and Astronautics Chronology, 1958
  4. astronautix.com, Vanguard
  5. NASA, Vanguard SLV-2
  6. astronautix.com, Vanguard
  7. Gunter's Space Page, Vanguard SLV-2

Further reading
  • Mallove, Eugene F. and Matloff, Gregory L. The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel, Wiley. ISBN 0-471-61912-4.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.