Background History

The International Geophysical Year

Last Updated: August 28, 1997

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Vanguard, A History

NASA SP-4202

by

CONSTANCE MCLAUGHLIN GREEN
and
MILTON LOMASK

The NASA Historical Series

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations

l Background of Space Exploration

2 Seeking Government Support for a Satellite Program

3 Selecting a Satellite Plan

4 Getting the Launch Program Started

5 Battle over Vehicle Specifications

6 Role of NASA and TPESP, l955-l956

7 Onboard Experiments and Instrumentation

8 Creating a Home on the Range

9 The Tracking Systems

10 Early Test Firing

11 From Sputnik I toTV-3

12 Success and After

13 The National Academy of Sciences and the Scientific Harvest, 1957-1959

14 The Final Accounting

Selected Bibliography

l. Vanguard Flight Summary

2. Explorer Flight Summary

3. IGY Satellite Launches