Beacon 2 was launched an a three stage Juno 2 rocket. The vehicle ran into trouble three minutes into flight and an array of failures caused the GNC system to fail causing the satellite to fall short of orbit.

Juno II was an American space launch vehicle used during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was derived from the Jupiter missile, which was used as the first stage.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. NASA have many launch facilities but most are inactive. The most commonly used pad will be LC-39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.