Vanguard Launch History
Every orbital and deep-space launch attempt by the Vanguard, year by year, drawn from the GCAT launch catalog.
Data current as of 2026-07-20.
Vanguard made 11 orbital and deep-space launch attempts between 1957 and 1959. Of those, 3 succeeded and 8 failed. The success rate comes to 27 percent. The busiest year was 1958, with 6 flights. The most recent flight in the catalog was in 1959.
11
Launch attempts
3
Successes
8
Failures
27%
Success rate
Launches per year
Successes
Failures
Each bar links to that year's full chronology.
Year by year
Launch sites used
Sites the Vanguard launched from, across every launch in the catalog.
| Site | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CC | 🇺🇸United States | 11 | 3 | 8 |
Launch chronology
Every Vanguard launch in the catalog, newest first.
| Date | Designator | Payloads | Site / Pad | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 1959 | 1959 ETA | SLV-7 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard TV4S +3 more, X-248-A2 SV-59, deb Vanguard 3, Magne-Ray satellite | CC / LC18A | Success |
| Jun 22, 1959 | 1959-F03 | SLV-6 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard SLV6 +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800, Radiation Balance sat | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| Apr 14, 1959 | 1959-F01 | SLV-5 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard SLV5 +4 more, Balloon container, GRC 33-KS-2800, 30-inch sphere, Magnetometer satellite | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| Feb 17, 1959 | 1959 ALP | SLV-4 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard SLV4 +4 more, deb Vanguard II, Vanguard II strap, GRC 33-KS-2800 175-15-21, Cloud cover satellite | CC / LC18A | Success |
| Sep 26, 1958 | 1958-U01 | SLV-3 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard SLV3 +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800 172-12-24, Cloud cover satellite | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| Jun 26, 1958 | 1958-F06 | SLV-2 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard SLV2 +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800, X-ray satellite | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| May 28, 1958 | 1958-F05 | SLV-1 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard SLV1 +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800 166-8-11, Lyman Alpha satellite | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| Apr 29, 1958 | 1958-F04 | TV-5 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37 PU-5, Vanguard TV5 +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800, X-ray satellite | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| Mar 17, 1958 | 1958 BET | TV-4 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37 PU-4, Vanguard TV4 +3 more, Adapter clamp, GRC 33-KS-2800 144-79-22, Vanguard Test Satellite H | CC / LC18A | Success |
| Feb 5, 1958 | 1958-F01 | TV-3BU : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard TV3S +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800, Vanguard Test Satellite G | CC / LC18A | Failure |
| Dec 6, 1957 | 1957-F01 | TV-3 : Vanguard Fairing, AJ10-37, Vanguard TV3 +2 more, GRC 33-KS-2800, Vanguard Test Satellite F | CC / LC18A | Failure |