Vanguard II is an Earth orbiting satellite and the first weather satellite. It was designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit for a period of 19 days and to provide information on the density of the atmosphere.
Rocket
Vanguard
Mission type
Earth Science
Payload
Vanguard II
Launch complex
Launch Complex 18A · Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Launch date
February 17, 1959
Launch window
Instantaneous window
Orbit reached
Medium Earth Orbit
Launch trajectory
The launch pad has not been identified. No flight path is shown.
Your viewing outlook
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Mission updates
Live updates from our team at the press site will appear here on launch day.