From what I know, the Vanguard rocket design was intended to be the first step into satellite launches for the US. Von Braun didn't actually work on the Vanguard rockets and was opposed to their use. He was more in favor of using his own rocket designs to go to space.
Von Braun is still perhaps one of the most influential members of the US push into space, though. His work with the Saturn rockets,...
From what I know, the Vanguard rocket design was intended to be the first step into satellite launches for the US. Von Braun didn't actually work on the Vanguard rockets and was opposed to their use. He was more in favor of using his own rocket designs to go to space.
Von Braun is still perhaps one of the most influential members of the US push into space, though. His work with the Saturn rockets, which were far larger and more useful than the Vanguard, could be used to send equipment into space, whereas the Vanguard had a payload of only a few kilograms.
As for what happened to the Vanguards that were launched, they would burn up on reentry or explode on launch. Vanguards had a 3/11 success rate, which compared to even the ancient space shuttle is dismal; the technology was still very new at the time, and shoddy workmanship didn't help. The project was eventually abandoned when stronger, more successful and efficient rockets became available.
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