The Agena launch vehicle was developed and manufactured by the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company for the United States Air Force.
| Length | 7.1 m. (23.25 ft.) |
| Diameter | 1.5 m. (5 ft.) |
| Weight | Empty 674 kg. (1484 lb.) |
| Fuel | Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine |
| Oxidizer | Inhibited red-fuming nitric acid |
| Thrust | 7260 kg. (16,000 lb.) |
The Agena-B is from the United States Air Force and the Lockheed Missile and Space Company.
32. The Agena Target Docking Vehicle seen from the Gemini 8 spacecraft during rendezvous approach.
Science Satellites
33. Vanguard 1, second American satellite launched. Information from Vanguard showed that the Earth is not quite round.
The first artificial earth satellites were sometimes called “long-playing rockets” because they carried the same instruments and investigated the same problems as had the sounding rockets. The great advantage of the satellite was its ability to provide a continuous flow of information for long periods of time. The first science satellites were the forerunners of later vehicles that would demonstrate the direct benefits that satellites could offer to such varied fields as weather observation and communication.