Posted on 03/16/2023 8:40:02 PM PDT by Richard from IL
Vanguard 1, designed by my father, was launched 65 years ago. I talked about it on The John Batchelor Show. https://www.thespaceshow.com/show/06-dec-2017/broadcast-3030-hotel-mars-richard-easton
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you must be very proud of your father. thanks for keeping the memory of a far more glorious and great America alive.
I remember every day of that time as a kid.
Glad we could give the Russkie devils a run for their money.
Thanks to people like your father.
When Martin moved me to Baltimore in the 80’s, they were still talking about Vanguard. It was rushed to launch before it was ready (or so their story goes), because of Sputnik. The men working on it wore white coats and were the joke of the airplane workers which were bringing in the contracts.
They finally got it up - after several spectacular failures - but Von Braun had beaten them to the prize.
Later, Von Braun worked with Martin to help develop the Pershing missile - a real workhorse for both Martin and the Army.
I remember, it was a notable event.
My elementary school lunchbox was Vanguard-themed, and the thermos was shaped like a rocket with fins.
Wish I still had it, must be quite collectible now.
I recall reading about the successful launch of Vanguard I in the newspaper the next day. I believe the satellite is still in orbit and holds the record for having traveled farther than any other man-made object.
What a heritage!
If we were half the men our fathers were, we would be twice the men we are.
That was the original Vanguard, which exploded on the launch pad on December 6, 1957 and was dubbed "Kaputnik."
amazing to think about. Good for your father.
Dad brought TV-3 home after the explosion. It sat in our house overnight and was displayed in the National AIr and Space Museum for many years. I’m not sure if it will be displayed in the remodeled Museum. Dad tinkered with Vanguard 1 on our dining room table. He then invented the Naval Space Surveillance System, Timation and GPS.
That is very cool. What a great connection to the Vanguard 1.
I’m in awe. Thank you for sharing. Your father was a great man.
The Vanguard 1 is still up there. IIRC it is predicted to come down in the mid 2030’s.
Werner Von Braun created the first American satellite after the first Vanguard attempt failed. Most people do not know that he was ready to go with the Jupiter years before. They chose the Vanguard because it used scratch built civilian hardware. Eisenhower was afraid of provoking the Soviets. Von Braun secretly set some hardware aside just for this purpose, and accomplished it in just months. If they had gone his way in the first place, the first satellite would have been American, and it may well have launched in 1956. Think about the implications of that.
The oldest object in Orbit to this day!
I talked about it Tuesday on The Space Show. https://thespaceshow.com/show/14-mar-2023/broadcast-4000-richard-easton
The voyager spacecrafts have traveled farther than any other spacecraft.
Well, thank you! I will have to watch it.
My physics prof, Dr RICHARD Mara worked on Vanguard. I learned about this when he explained Sputnik to us. I minored in Physics and eventually worked on AF satellites and launch vehicles. So thanks to your Dad, Dr Mara and many others who inspired me.
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