Vanguard Launches
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.
Orbital Radar lists 11 launches of the Vanguard, part of 7,412 orbital launches catalogued since 1957. Every entry links to the rocket, the operator and the satellites it deployed.
Featured & milestone launches
Every rocket launch, 1957 – 2026
228 launches so far this year · search, sort & filter the full record| Date | Mission | Vehicle | Operator | Launch site | Payloads | Orbit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-09-18 | Magne-Ray satellite1959 ETA | Vanguard X-248 | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | 1 payload ↗ | MEO | success |
| 1959-06-22 | Radiation Balance sat1959-F03 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
| 1959-04-14 | Magnetometer satellite1959-F01 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
| 1959-02-17 | Cloud cover satellite1959 ALP | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | 1 payload ↗ | MEO | success |
| 1958-09-26 | Cloud cover satellite1958-U01 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
| 1958-06-26 | X-ray satellite1958-F06 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
| 1958-05-28 | Lyman Alpha satellite1958-F05 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | MEO | failure |
| 1958-04-29 | X-ray satellite1958-F04 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
| 1958-03-17 | Vanguard Test Satellite1958 BET | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | 1 payload ↗ | MEO | success |
| 1958-02-05 | Vanguard Test Satellite1958-F01 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
| 1957-12-06 | Vanguard Test Satellite1957-F01 | Vanguard | NRL | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | — | LEO | failure |
Launch cadence · 1957 → 2026
Annual orbital launch attempts worldwide. The modern surge is reshaping the record.
About this database
Every orbital launch since 1957 — 7,412 in total, 161 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 pageFull launch index (11 launches)
Last updated 2026-09-19 · Data: Orbital Radar launch & satellite archives — sources & methodology.