User:Kentholke/projects/vanguard 2

Vanguard 2 (SLV-4) was an earth-orbiting satellite launched from Cape Canaveral complex 18A on February 17, 1959. It was the second of three successfull launces of eleven toll in Project Vanguard. It was the first satellite designed to observe and record the Earth's cloud cover. While the overall mission of Vanguard 2 was considered "partially successfull," it's insertion into orbit around Earth gave the United States a more respectable standing against the Soviet Union in the space race.

Origin of the Vanguard Program
In 1952, the International Council of Scientific Unions recommended the launching of small satellites for the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The U.S. National Committee for the IGY studied the proposal and in March, 1955, issued reports to the National Acadamy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation in favor of the proposal.

Notes / Sources / Possible References
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 * Vanguard Celebrates 50 Years In Space
 * The Naval Research Laboratory: Vanguard Project
 * Sputnik: The Fiftieth Anniversary
 * Vanguard: A History
 * Vanguard
 * The Internet Encyclopedia of Science: Vanguard
 * The Vanguard Satellite Launching Vehicle: An Engineering Summary
 * National Academy of Sciences: IGY
 * NASA Sounding Rockets, 1958 - 1968: A historical Summary

Category:1959 in space exploration Category:1959 in the United States Category:Artificial satellites orbiting Earth Category:Project Vanguard Category:Weather satellites

Vanguard SLV-4 Vanguard–2 Vanguard 2 Vanguard 2