Top 10 NASA Flubs
Even as NASA welcomes home the crew of one its final shuttle missions (just two days after commemorating the 40th anniversary of the miraculous return of the Apollo 13 crew), it's grappling with how to adapt to a new President's plan for its future. TIME takes a look at the dimmer moments in its history: the canceled projects, the failures and some notable mishaps
'Kaputnik'
On Dec. 6, 1957, two months after the Soviets launched the first artificial satellite into orbit, the U.S. tried to launch its own. The space race was on, and everyone was watching. Unfortunately for democracy, whereas the U.S.S.R. had Sputnik, the U.S. had "Kaputnik" (a.k.a. "Flopnik" or "Dudnik"). The rocket carrying the Vanguard TV3 satellite only made it about four feet off its Cape Canaveral pad before losing thrust and exploding in humiliating fashion. The press had a lot to say about the dismal failure. As the New York Herald Tribune summed up, "The people in Washington should damn well keep quiet until they have a grapefruit or at least something orbiting around up there." The following year, the U.S. finally launched its first satellite — and created NASA.
Read "Skywatchers Could Spot Discovery Re-Entry."
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