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Vanguard Launches

7,442 orbital launches since 1957

Search, filter and explore every orbital launch ever attempted — cross-linked to the satellites they deployed, the rockets that flew them and the operators behind them. Built on Orbital Radar's launch & satellite archives. For what's flying next, see the live launch schedule.

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7,442
Total launches
258
This year
92.9%
Success rate
164
Crewed
1957
Since

Orbital Radar lists 11 launches of the Vanguard, part of 7,442 orbital launches catalogued since 1957. Every entry links to the rocket, the operator and the satellites it deployed.

2020s 2010s SpaceX Falcon 9 Soyuz Failures Cape Canaveral ⬡ Crewed only

Featured & milestone launches

Every rocket launch, 1957 – 2026

258 launches so far this year · search, sort & filter the full record
11 launches
DateMissionVehicleOperatorLaunch sitePayloadsOrbitOutcome
1959-09-18Magne-Ray satellite1959 ETAVanguard X-248NRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station1 payload ↗MEOsuccess
1959-06-22Radiation Balance sat1959-F03VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure
1959-04-14Magnetometer satellite1959-F01VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure
1959-02-17Cloud cover satellite1959 ALPVanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station1 payload ↗MEOsuccess
1958-09-26Cloud cover satellite1958-U01VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure
1958-06-26X-ray satellite1958-F06VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure
1958-05-28Lyman Alpha satellite1958-F05VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—MEOfailure
1958-04-29X-ray satellite1958-F04VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure
1958-03-17Vanguard Test Satellite1958 BETVanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station1 payload ↗MEOsuccess
1958-02-05Vanguard Test Satellite1958-F01VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure
1957-12-06Vanguard Test Satellite1957-F01VanguardNRLCape Canaveral Space Force Station—LEOfailure

Launch cadence · 1957 → 2026

Annual orbital launch attempts worldwide. The modern surge is reshaping the record.

19572026

About this database

Every orbital launch since 1957 — 7,442 in total, 164 of them crewed — cross-linked to the rockets, operators and satellites involved. The historical record is maintained in Orbital Radar's launch archive and matched continuously to our live satellite catalogue.

Browse the database

crawlable facet hubs · each its own indexable page

By year

2026 2582025 3302024 2632023 2232022 1862021 1462020 1142019 103

By vehicle

Soyuz 1,183Falcon 9 700Long March 675Kosmos 622Atlas 437Proton 425Thor 331Molniya 320

By operator

Soviet Rocket Forces 1,537Soviet Space Forces 906SpaceX 733CASC 658NASA 463Arianespace 305US Air Force 277Russian Aerospace Forces 272

By outcome / site

Successful 6,914Failed 520Unconfirmed 8Plesetsk Cosmodrome 1,689Baikonur Cosmodrome 1,561Cape Canaveral Space Force Station 1,116

Explore more

Near-Earth ObjectsSatellite DirectoryUpcoming Launches
Full launch index (11 launches)
Magne-Ray satellite (1959-09-18)Radiation Balance sat (1959-06-22)Magnetometer satellite (1959-04-14)Cloud cover satellite (1959-02-17)Cloud cover satellite (1958-09-26)X-ray satellite (1958-06-26)Lyman Alpha satellite (1958-05-28)X-ray satellite (1958-04-29)Vanguard Test Satellite (1958-03-17)Vanguard Test Satellite (1958-02-05)Vanguard Test Satellite (1957-12-06)

Last updated 2026-11-04 · Data: Orbital Radar launch & satellite archives — sources & methodology.