Video: 'Vanguard TV3 Rocket Launch Explosion'

(Friday, December 6, 1957, 16:44:34 UTC; during the Cold War) — America’s first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit around the Earth failed today as Vanguard TV3 rose about four feet off a Cape Canaveral, Florida, launch pad before crashing down and exploding.

The exact cause of the accident was not determined with certainty due to limited telemetry instrumentation at this early phase.

Video: 'Vanguard (Flopnik)'