More than half a century ago the USSR accelerated the space race with the launch of Sputnik 1. | National Geographic UK

December 6th - on this day in 1957, the United States made the first attempt to launch a satellite into orbit, following the Soviet Union's recent successful launches of Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2. NASA had not yet been formed, and the U.S. Navy was responsible for launching Vanguard TV-3 (TV stands for Test Vehicle) on a Vanguard launch vehicle for which the Glenn L. Martin Company served as the prime contractor. The launch ended in disaster when the first stage General Electric GE X-405 engine lo