Vanguard 1 Minibox
Vanguard 1 Minibox
| Placed By: | Silver Eagle |
|---|---|
| Date: | 03/17/08 |
| Nearest Town: | Fort Davis, TX |
| County: | Jeff Davis |
| Terrain Difficulty: | Moderate (slight slope, .5 miles RT) |
| Status: | alive (03/17/08) |
Project Vanguard was a program managed by the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), which intended to launch the first artificial satellite into Earth orbit. However, due to early failures and in response to the surprise launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, the U.S. restarted the Explorer program, which had been proposed earlier by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA). Together with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), ABMA built Explorer 1 in 84 days and launched it on January 31, 1958 to become the first artificial satellite successfully placed in Earth orbit by the United States. Then, on March 17, 1958, Vanguard 1 became the second U.S. artificial satellite in orbit, but hardly anyone remembers it. But it is worth remembering because unlike Sputnik and Explorer, Vanguard 1 is still up there and remains the oldest human-made object in space, with a projected lifespan of over 250 years. I placed this minibox as a tribute on its 50th anniversary, and since I happened to be at Davis Mountains SP on that day, that is where it was placed. I placed it on a different trail than my other box in this park. This trail goes down to the Fort Davis NHS and is very scenic. If you decide to hike the whole trail after finding the box, arrange someone to meet you at the Fort so you don't have to hike back up.
NOTE: Always take adequate precautions (such as prodding with a stick and/or wearing gloves) before reaching into dark crevasses and holes in the wild. Before you set out read the waiver of responsibility and disclaimer.
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Last updated on 03/23/2008