Vanguard (Flopnik)

oopsnik...

Sup, international politics students.

hehe... supppp

Kaputnik

wow.  a project supposedly rushed 3 months in advance, and this is the result?

What rush? The launch was a test flight only. The satellite was
added at a late date but the real objective - note TV-3 designation - was to verify all 3 stages (complete vehicle) worked before committing to the real working satellite in 1958.

You know they wanted it to be the final test product though.  I knew they didn't put the satellite, but it was Braun's team that saved them from public humiliation.

You seem to be creating history. Vanguard 1 was put into orbit just 46 days after Explorer 1. Keep in mind the US had a methodical test program for Vanguard which why the early vehicles were labeled TV and included a small satellite to check out the tracking system before the IGY payloads were committed for launch. Public humiliation was the result of ignorant world media making comparisons.

well quite frankly, I can't argue much more since my knowledge is limited :(

I think of this as an exchange of ideas and knowledge. If we both learn some new information so much better for both of us.
I will say that there is a lot of "stuff" out there. In the big scheme of things it didn't matter who was first or heaviest. A certain element of Russian missile people wanted to beat the US so they focused on that, Same for first man in space.
The US did not have a high priority or funding so we did a normal methodical testing program.