Key statistics
Satellite VANGUARD R/B at a glance.
Uptime
24254
Days in orbit
Revolutions
≈ 11.5
Per day
Orbit
MEO
Medium Earth Orbit
Inclination
32.9
Latest
Satellite identification and parameters
Extended collection of information and parameters for VANGUARD R/B.
Object identification
Identified? True
Debris? False
Object name: VANGUARD R/B
International designator: 1959-001B
Object number (NORAD): 12
Object ID (CCSDS): 12
Country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US)
Current information (Y/N): Y
RCS size: MEDIUM
Orbital parameters
Period: 125.459 minutes
Inclination: 32.9 deg
SMA: 8301.578 km
Apoapsis: 3291.182 km
Periapsis: 555.704 km
RAAN: 337.7857 deg
Eccentricy: 0.1647565
Argument of periapsis: 113.0928 deg
Mean anomaly: 265.1457 deg
Mean motion: 11.47788306 rev/day
Mean motion (dot): 0.00000778 rev/day2
B* drag term: 0.0004645 1/REarth
Two-line elements (TLE)
Creation date: July 13, 2025, 10:26 p.m.
Reference frame: TEME
Reference center: EARTH
Epoch: July 13, 2025, 4:04 p.m. UTC
TLE line 0: 0 VANGUARD R/B
TLE line 1: 1 12U 59001B 25194.66949016 .00000778 00000-0 46450-3 0 9994
TLE line 2: 2 12 32.9000 337.7857 1647565 113.0928 265.1457 11.47788306734994
Live tracking on map
Real-time ground track for satellite VANGUARD R/B.
In-orbit conjunctions
There are no conjunctions computed for VANGUARD R/B, at the moment. Check back to stay up to date, as we update our databases every day.
Go to all conjunctionsAssociated space launch
Vanguard II is an Earth orbiting satellite and the first weather satellite. It was designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit for a period of 19 days and to provide information on the density of the atmosphere.
VANGUARD R/B was lifted into orbit during the mission ‘Vanguard | Vanguard II’, on board a Vanguard space rocket.
The launch took place on Feb. 17, 1959, 3:55 p.m. from Launch Complex 18A.
For more information about the launch, click the button.
Vanguard | Vanguard II
Agency: N/A
Status: Launch Successful
Launch date: Feb. 17, 1959, 3:55 p.m. UTC
Rocket: Vanguard
Launch pad: Launch Complex 18A
Location: Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
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Latest news about this satellite
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