On Saint Patrick’s Day in 1958, the U.S. Navy launched Vanguard 1, the first solar-powered satellite and the oldest artificial satellite currently orbiting the Earth. ‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com
The main purpose of this mission was to test a new three-stage rocket. Vanguard 1 was the fourth satellite ever launched into space (following Sputniks 1 and 2 and Explorer 1). It looks a lot like a miniature version of Sputni