Today in History: Disasterous First U.S. Attempt to Launch a Satellite

by M.C. Millman

The first U.S. attempt to launch a satellite ended in disaster on December 6, 1957, when the rocket carrying it blew up while only several feet off the ground. 

Vanguard Test Vehicle 3 (TV-3) represented the first attempt at putting a satellite into Earth orbit. Though best remembered for its string of failures, as only three out of fourteen Vanguard rockets were ever successful, they were the first American rockets designed specifically for launching satellites. Vanguards were also the first rockets to launch from Cape Canaveral that were not tied to a weapons system. 

The Vanguard Satellite Program was designed to achieve the goal of launching one or more Earth-orbiting satellites. In 1955 the Stewart Committee's eight members had three proposals for the project: one from the Army, one from the Navy, and one from the Air Force. The Navy's proposal was approved by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on September 9, 1955. 

The first test of the Vanguard design took place on December 8, 1956. It failed but that didn't matter after Russia's Sputnik 2 succeeded in putting the first living creature into orbit on November 3, 1956. In response, the U.S. rushed to set up its own satellite launch on the next Vanguard rocket. This was scheduled before the conclusion of the series of tests that were still in the works for the rockets.

On December 6, 1957, Vanguard TV-3 was launched from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex-18. Two seconds later, after rising approximately four feet, the rocket lost thrust and crashed down onto the pad as the fuel tanks ruptured and exploded. As a result, the rocket was destroyed, and the launch pad was severely damaged. The satellite landed on the ground nearby. 

The exact cause of the disaster was never confirmed, but the humiliation to the U.S. was worldwide and included newspaper articles with headlines including plays on the name "Sputnik" such as "Kaputnik", "Flopnik", "Dudnik", and "Stayputnik 

The event was so catastrophic that the prime contractor for Project Vanguard was temporarily suspended by the New York Stock Exchange. 

Looking back, though, the Vanguard TV-3 failures were still helpful in that they paved the way for the successful launch of future satellites.