In the early-morning darkness at Cape Canaveral, the morning star and the thin edge of a waning moon graced the eastern sky. Their light faded, and at 6:45 the sun burst bright and yellow above a cloud bank to bathe the slender dark-green-and-white Vanguard rocket standing on Launch Pad 18A. In Vanguard's nose was a 3ΒΌ-lb. antenna-horned space satellite that symbolized at once the hope and despair of all the men at the Cape. Temperamental Vanguard, twice a spectacular failure, was once again ready for the shoot: the countdown was onT minus 16 minutes....
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