1956 in spaceflight

1956 in spaceflight
	The Jupiter-C rocket made its maiden flight in 1956
Rockets
Maiden flights	Aerobee AJ10-34; Nike-Cajun; Terrapin; Jupiter-C; R-1UK; R-5RD; R-5R; Kappa 1
Retirements	Aerobee XASR-SC-1; Aerobee RTV-A-1a; Deacon rockoon; Nike-Nike-T40-T55; R-1E; R-1UK; R-5RD; R-5R

Preparation for the 18-month International Geophysical Year (IGY), scheduled to begin July 1957, became a truly international endeavor in 1956. The American IGY satellite program, Project Vanguard, saw its first test launch at the end of the year, while the Army Ballistic Missile Agency tested Redstone-derived rockets, culminating in the Jupiter-C capable of orbiting a satellite. The Soviet Union developed the engines and tested vital components for its first ICBM, the R-7 Semyorka, which would fly the USSR's first artificial satellite, "Object D:

Japan developed the Kappa 1 sounding rocket with an eye toward an advanced version that would fly during the IGY, and Canada, with the assistance of the United States, established a sounding rocket range in Churchill, Manitoba. In Italy, Rome hosted the Seventh International Aeronautical Congress, which saw 400 delegates from the scientific community and representatives of (mostly American) industry gather to discuss the technical aspects of spaceflight.

Both superpowers conducted a multitude of sounding rocket flights, probing the upper atmosphere with increasing sophistication and cadence. In addition, the Soviets completed a series of capsule launches, each with two dog passengers—a prelude to human missions in space.

Space exploration highlights

Sounding Rockets

American efforts

The primary sounding rocket of the United States for 1956 was the Aerobee in a variety of models. Launched mostly (but not exclusively) from sites in New Mexico, missions were conducted by a myriad of agencies, both military and civilian, to probe and return information about the upper atmosphere. The University of Michigan utilized the Nike-Cajun sounding rocket, launched from the USS Rushmore in the Labrador Sea, to conduct aeronomy research. The Air Force launched its X-17 rocket a number of times, mostly testing reentry vehicles for ballistic missile use.

Soviet efforts

The year saw the completion of the second series of Soviet suborbital flights with dogs as payloads. After the completion of the nine-launch series, conducted with variations of the R-1 rocket, the results were published as "Vital Activity of Animals during Rocket Flights into the Upper Atmosphere" in December 1956 at an international conference in Paris. These flights made it clear that advanced animals could survive the rigors of space launch, reentry, and weightlessness. They also tested spacesuits, parachute recovery of space travelers, and radio telemetry.^[1]^: 21

Also completed this year was the second series of Academik flights, which involved 18 sounding rocket launches between 1953 and 1956. These missions returned scientific data on cosmic rays, the atmosphere, the content and temperature of the ionosphere as well as information useful to engineers: winds, temperature, pressure and radio wave propagation at high altitudes.^[1]^: 15, 19

Seventh International Aeronautical Congress

Organized by the Italian rocket society under the auspices of the International Astronautical Federation, it was held 17–22 September^[2] at the Palazzo dei Congressi, 15 km (9.3 mi) from Rome. 400 delegates from astronautical societies and research institutes, as well as representatives of (mostly American) large industrial interests attended. The first day of the conference and a quarter of the 45 papers read before the conference were directly related to artificial Earth satellites.^[3]^: 451

Spacecraft development

United States

Project Vanguard

Vanguard TV-0 on the launch pad — Vanguard_rocket-04

Work continued apace on Project Vanguard, the civilian satellite project initiated in fall 1955. Vanguard consisted of a tiny satellite and a rocket launcher, the latter comprising a Viking (rocket) first stage mated with two smaller rocket stages. Starting in 1956, John T. Mengel and his Naval Research Laboratory Tracking and Guiding Branch began designing the Minitrack system, a worldwide network of stations that would receive data on 108 MHz broadcast by Vanguard's tiny transmitter. In April 1946, work began on a global optical tracking network as well, whose task would be to locate the satellite in the sky so that Minitrack could maintain continuous tracking. In addition to twelve observation stations around the world, amateurs were also recruited to assist. While it would have been logistically useful to have Minitrack and optical stations at the same site, the two types of stations had different requirements—the radio stations requiring flat ground away from interference, and the visual stations needing clear skies. In the end, only Woomera in Australia had a combined tracking station.^[4]^{: 146–150}

The first Vanguard test flight took place in the early morning of 8 December 1956 and involved the launch of an unmodified Viking rocket (#13). The purpose of Vanguard TV-0 was to familiarize the Vanguard team with launch operations, and to test the range safety and tracking systems at Cape Canaveral's Air Force Missile Test Center (AFMTC). TV-0 reached an altitude of 126.5 mi (203.6 km) and a range of 97.6 mi (157.1 km). 120 seconds into the flight, the rocket ejected a small sphere equipped with a Minitrack transmitter. Its broadcasts were picked up without difficulty by AFMTC's tracking stations before the little device hit the Atlantic Ocean. A post-flight evaluation conducted mid-December determined that the rocket's performance had been "either satisfactory or superior", that rocket-borne instrumentation and telemetry had been "excellent", and that ground coverage of the instrumentation had been "adequate". This successful flight paved the way for Vanguard's first multi-stage launch, scheduled for the following year.^[4]^{: 170–176}

Project Orbiter

In 1956, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) continued trying to gain support of Project Orbiter, an Army plan to use a slightly modified Redstone (a 200 miles (320 km) range surface-to-surface missile developed the prior year)^[5] combined with upper stages employing 31 Loki solid-propellant rockets to put a 5 lb (2.3 kg) satellite into orbit, which could be tracked optically. Though Orbiter had been officially rejected the year before in favor of Vanguard, ABMA hoped Redstone-Orbiter could still be used as a backup orbital system. Reentry tests that year conducted with the newly developed, Redstone-based Jupiter-C, further strengthened ABMA confidence in their vehicle as an orbital launcher. Though Orbiter remained unapproved, late in the year the Army did authorize production and firing of 12 Jupiter-Cs for nosecone reentry tests. This set the stage for the Jupiter-C to be the de facto backup in the event of Vanguard's failure.^[4]^{: 74, 199–200}

Long-range missiles

Development of an ICBM was given paramount importance by the United States government on the heels of a secret report made in February 1955 by James Rhyne Killian to the National Security Council on Soviet rocket progress. Not only was the 5,500 km (3,400 mi)-range Atlas, America's first ICBM, made the highest-priority project in the nation, but Titan, a more capable ICBM, was authorized for development as well.^[6] By late 1956, the Convair-produced Atlas was being configured for launch operations. On 10 October 1956, a non-flying Atlas arrived at Cape Canaveral in Florida, where it was checked for compatibility with the Cape's existing launch facilities. Test flights of the first "Series A" run of missiles would begin in 1957.^[7]

With development of the Atlas expected to take some time, the Thor Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), with a range of 2,500 km (1,600 mi), had been authorized in 1955 to be developed and deployed in Europe in just three years. The Douglas-produced Thor, the first missile to use inertial guidance, had its basic configuration and size frozen in January 1956. Engine testing began in March 1956 with the first engine delivered by Rocketdyne in August, by which time the inertial guidance system was finished as well. The same month, warhead data was provided to General Electric, which had been contracted to produce the missile's nose cone. The size of the nose cone was fixed in September. Test launches of the completed missile would take place in 1957.^[6]

The US Army's Wernher von Braun-led Guided Missile Development Division team, that had recently developed the Redstone, was working on its own IRBM, dubbed Jupiter in April 1956. United States Secretary of Defense Charles Wilson authorized this missile in September 1955, to be jointly developed by the Army and the US Navy. The PGM-19 Jupiter would have the same range as the Thor, and it was planned to be deployed by 1961.^[8]

All of these missiles were ultimately adapted into orbital delivery rockets.^[9]^{: 131–137}

Soviet Union

R-7 Semyorka ICBM

Full-scale tests of the RD-108 rocket engines that would power the R-7 Semyorka, the Soviet Union's first ICBM, began in January 1956. That same month,^[10]^{: 137–138} work began in earnest on "Site 1", the launch pad at Ministry of Defense Scientific-Research and Test Firing Range No.5 (NIIP-5), located in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (now Kazakhstan) near the Syr-Darya river.^[11]^: 308 Completed by the end of May, the platform measured 250 m (820 ft) by 100 m (330 ft) by 45 m (148 ft). An exact duplicate was set up for testing and validation purposes in Leningrad, and a full-scale test version of the R-7 was subjected to wind tests thereon. On 5 October, workers finished the road connecting Site 1 and the living settlement at Site 10, nicknamed Zarya.^[10]^{: 136–137}

Other Soviet missiles

On 2 February 1956, an R-5M Medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) was the first rocket to fly carrying a live nuclear warhead.^[12] In May and June 1956, three R-5R missiles—R-5Ms with their nuclear payloads replaced with radio control instrument packages—were the first Soviet missiles to be launched with radio guidance. The ground stations developed to control these missiles served as prototypes for those being built to support R-7 operations. A series of ten launches of another R5 variant, the M-5RD, tested other R-7 components including guidance, stabilization, and propellant feed. All of these launches were successful.^[10]^: 138

Object D, the first Soviet satellite project

On 30 January 1956, the Soviet government approved Resolution #149-88, authorizing "Object D". This was a satellite massing 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) to 1,400 kg (3,100 lb), about a fourth of which would be devoted to scientific instruments. This proposal, created in 1955 by engineer Mikhail Tikhonravov, had been endorsed by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev upon learning that Object D would outmass the announced American satellite by nearly 1,000 times. Work on the project began in February 1956 with a planned launch date of latter 1957. The design was finalized on 24 July.^[1]^: 25

By the 1956, it had become clear that the complicated Object D would not be finished in time for a 1957 launch. Thus, in December 1956, OKB-1 head Sergei Korolev proposed the development of two simpler satellites: PS, Prosteishy Sputnik, or Preliminary Satellite. The two PS satellites would be simple spheres massing 83.4 kg (184 lb) and equipped solely with a radio antenna. The project was approved by the government on 25 January 1957.^[1]^: 27

Japan

In 1955, Japan developed its first experimental rocket, the 23 cm (9.1 in) long Pencil.^[13] With an eye toward developing a sounding rocket that could meet the 60 km (37 mi) to 100 km (62 mi) minimum altitude requirement for the IGY, the Japanese began development of the Kappa series of rockets, the last of which would fulfill the IGY height limit. Kappa 1, first in this series, 128 mm in diameter and with an initial acceleration of 25 gees,^[14] was launched seven times in 1956.^[15]

Canada

Under the aegis of Canada's Defense Research Board, the United States Army built the Churchill Rocket Research Range 24 km (15 mi) east of Churchill, Manitoba. Due to its proximity to the north magnetic pole, it offered an excellent vantage from which to explore auroral activity. Sounding rocket launches began in October 1956, and the facility would become the nation's premier upper atmosphere research center.^[16]

Launches

← Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec →

January

January launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
11 January	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	11 January	Successful^[12]
17 January	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	17 January	Successful^[12]
20 January	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	Test flight	20 January	Successful
		Apogee: 132 kilometres (82 mi)^[17]
21 January	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful^[18]
21 January	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful^[12]
24 January	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 January	Successful^[18]
24 January	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 January	Launch failure^[18]

February

February launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
2 February	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

		Baykal	MVS	Suborbital	Nuclear weapon test	2 February	Successful
		First launch of a missile carrying a live nuclear warhead^[12]
6 February	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	6 February	Successful^[12]
13 February	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	13 February	Successful^[18]
14 February	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	14 February	Successful^[18]
16 February	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	16 February	Successful
		Maiden flight of the R-5RD (or M5RD)^[12]
17 February	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	17 February	Successful^[19]

March

March launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
5 March	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	Test flight	5 March	Successful
		Apogee: 116 kilometres (72 mi)^[17]
7 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	7 March	Successful^[12]
9 March	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	9 March	Successful^[19]
12 March 21:15	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 62	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Ionospheric	12 March	Successful
		Apogee: 95 kilometres (59 mi)^[20]^{: 166–167}
14 March 08:45	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 63	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Ionospheric / Aeronomy	14 March	Successful
		Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)^[20]^{: 168–169}
15 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	15 March	Successful^[12]
17 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	17 March	Successful^[12]
23 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	23 March	Successful^[12]
28 March	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 March	Successful^[18]

April

April launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
9 April	HJ-Nike			Wallops Island		NACA

			NACA	Suborbital	Test flight	9 April	Successful
		Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)^[21]
12 April 02:05	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 64	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

		Sodium Release 3	AFCRC	Suborbital	Ionospheric / Aeronomy	12 April	Successful
		Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)^[20]^{: 170–171}
16 April	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	16 April	Successful^[18]
17 April	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	17 April	Successful
		Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)^[17]
29 April	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	29 April	Successful^[19]

May

May launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
1 May 22:05	Aerobee Hi		NRL 39	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Test flight	1 May	Launch failure
		Apogee: 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13a^[22]
8 May	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	8 May	Successful^[23]
8 May	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	8 May	Successful^[19]
8 May 14:54	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 65	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC / University of Colorado	Suborbital	Solar UV	8 May	Successful
		Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi), maiden flight of the Aerobee AJ10-34;^[20]^{: 172–173} at apogee, several photographs were taken of the Sun in Lyman-alpha (1215 angstroms) wavelength using lithium fluoride optics. The low resolution pictures revealed "considerably enhanced Lyman a radiation in the active spot and plage areas on the sun at the time of the flight." A spectrogram of the Sun was also taken.^[24]
8 May 15:15	Aerobee Hi		NRL 42	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Test flight	8 May	Launch failure
		Apogee: 188 kilometres (117 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13a^[22]
10 May	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	10 May	Successful^[23]
14 May	R-1E			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological	14 May	Successful
		Carried dogs, all recovered^[25]
16 May	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	16 May	Successful^[23]
16 May 15:40	Aerobee Hi		USAF 66	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Test flight	16 May	Launch failure
		Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)^[20]^{: 174–175}
31 May 02:57	R-1E			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological / Solar UV	31 May	Successful
		Carried dogs Malyshka and Linda,^[1]^: 23 all recovered^[25]
31 May	R-5R			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	Radio guidance test	31 May	Successful
		Maiden flight of the R-5R^[12]

June

June launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
4 June 14:13	Aerobee Hi		NRL 46	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV	4 June	Launch failure
		Apogee: 58 kilometres (36 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13a^[22]
6 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	6 June	Successful^[23]
7 June	R-1E			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological	7 June	Successful
		carried dogs Albina and Kozyavka^[1]^: 23 on final(?) flight of the R-1E; dogs recovered^[26]
7 June	R-5R			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	Radio guidance test	7 June	Successful^[12]
7 June	Nike-Nike-T40-T55			Wallops Island		NACA

			NACA	Suborbital	REV test	7 June	Successful
		Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi), final flight of the Nike-Nike-T40-T55^[27]
8 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	8 June	Successful^[23]
12 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	12 June	Successful^[23]
12 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	12 June	Successful^[23]
13 June 20:51	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 67	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC / University of Utah	Suborbital	Ionospheric	13 June	Successful
		Apogee: 137.8 kilometres (85.6 mi)^[20]^{: 176–177}
14 June	R-1E			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological	14 June	Unknown
		carried dogs Albina and Kozyavka^[1]^: 23 on final(?) flight of the R-1E (flight not listed on Mark Wade's site—see reference)^[26]
15 June	R-5R			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	Radio guidance test	15 June	Successful
		Final flight of the R-5R^[12]
18 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	18 June	Successful^[23]
18 June 20:42	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 68	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC / University of Utah	Suborbital	Ionospheric	18 June	Successful
		Apogee: 137 kilometres (85 mi)^[20]^{: 178–179}
20 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	20 June	Successful^[23]
21 June	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	21 June	Successful
		Final flight of the R-1UK^[23]
21 June 18:48	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 69	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC / University of Utah	Suborbital	Ionospheric	21 June	Successful
		Apogee: 146 kilometres (91 mi)^[20]^{: 180–181}
22 June 19:42	Aerobee RTV-N-10		NRL 22	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	22 June	Launch failure
		Apogee: 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)^[22]
26 June	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	Test flight	26 June	Successful
		Apogee: 140 kilometres (87 mi)^[17]
26 June 18:26	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 70	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC / University of Utah	Suborbital	Ionospheric	26 June	Successful
		Apogee: 111 kilometres (69 mi)^[20]^{: 182–183}
29 June 19:09	Aerobee Hi		NRL 50	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	29 June	Successful
		Apogee: 263.7 kilometres (163.9 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13b^[22] (Rocket #50); measured electron densities in the ionosphere by sending radio signals on two frequencies (7.75 and 46.5 Mhz) and determining how their Doppler shift was affected by the refractive index of the material near the rocket.^[28] The results confirmed "the general structure of the daytime ionosphere above White Sands as deduced from previous NRL flights": that "the ionosphere remains dense between the E and F2 regions, with only minor valleys in the electron-density profiles."^[29]
30 June	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	30 June	Successful^[18]

July

July launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
5 July 07:52	Aerobee RTV-N-10c		NRL 33	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Airglow / Aeronomy	5 July	Successful
		Apogee: 162 kilometres (101 mi)^[22]
6 July 18:00	Nike-Cajun		AM6.01	Wallops Island		NACA

			NACA / University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	6 July	Successful
		Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi), maiden flight of the Nike-Cajun^[30]
12 July	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	12 July	Successful^[19]
17 July	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	17 July	Successful
		Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)^[17]
17 July 15:40	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.27	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	17 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
18 July 15:46	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.28	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	18 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
19 July 15:21	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.29	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	19 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
20 July	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	20 July	Launch failure^[18]
20 July	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	20 July	Successful^[12]
20 July 19:15	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.30	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	20 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
21 July 17:18	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.31	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	21 July	Launch failure
		Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)^[31]
22 July 17:57	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.32	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	22 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
24 July	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 July	Successful^[18]
24 July	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		US Navy

		HUGO	US Navy	Suborbital	Hurricane Photography / Aeronomy	24 July	Successful
		Apogee: 112 kilometres (70 mi)^[30]
24 July 14:07	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.33	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	24 July	Launch failure
		Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)^[31]
25 July 15:15	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.34	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	25 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
26 July	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	26 July	Successful^[18]
26 July 15:28	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.35	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	26 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[31]
27 July	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	27 July	Launch failure
		Apogee: 0 kilometres (0 mi)^[17]
27 July 15:30	Deacon Rockoon		NN5.36	USS Colonial, Pacific Ocean, southwest of San Diego		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Solar UV / X-ray	27 July	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi), final flight of the Deacon rockoon^[31]
28 July	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 July	Successful^[18]
28 July	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 July	Successful^[19]
28 July	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 July	Successful^[19]
31 July 00:56	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 71	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Airglow	31 July	Successful
		Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)^[20]^{: 184–185}

August

August launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
3 August 12:56	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 72	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Solar UV	3 August	Launch failure
		Apogee: 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi), fail safe cutoff at 4.6 seconds^[20]^{: 186–187}
7 August	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	7 August	Successful^[12]
8 August 22:00	Nike-Cajun		AM6.30	White Sands		US Air Force

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	8 August	Successful
		Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)^[30]
9 August 15:53	Aerobee XASR-SC-1		SC 34	White Sands LC-35		US Army

			SCEL / University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	9 August	Successful
		Apogee: 85.5 kilometres (53.1 mi); carried three bottles for sampling air at apogee: two leaked, one recovered and analyzed.^[20]^{: 255–256}
9 August 22:47	Nike-Cajun		OB6.00	White Sands		US Air Force

			BRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	9 August	Successful
		Apogee: 164 kilometres (102 mi)^[30]
10 August	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	10 August	Successful^[12]
10 August 15:22	Aerobee XASR-SC-1		SC 35	White Sands LC-35		US Army

			SCEL / University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	10 August	Successful
		Apogee: 85.9 kilometres (53.4 mi), final flight of the Aerobee XASR-SC-1^[20]^{: 257–258}
18 August	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	18 August	Launch failure
		Apogee: 0 kilometres (0 mi)^[17]
23 August	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC / NACA	Suborbital	REV test	23 August	Successful
		Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)^[17]
25 August	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	25 August	Successful^[12]
28 August	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	28 August	Successful
		Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)^[17]

September

September launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
8 September	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	8 September	Launch failure
		Apogee: 394 kilometres (245 mi)^[17]
16 September	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	16 September	Successful^[12]
19 September	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	19 September	Successful^[12]
20 September 06:45	Jupiter-C			Cape Canaveral LC-5		ABMA

			ABMA	Suborbital	REV test	20 September	Successful
		Apogee: 1,094 kilometres (680 mi), maiden flight of the Jupiter-C, carried a 39.2 kilograms (86 lb) payload in a three-stage configuration^[32]
21 September	Terrapin			Wallops Island		NACA / NSA

			University of Maryland	Suborbital	Test flight	21 September	Launch failure
		Apogee: 16 kilometres (9.9 mi), maiden flight of the Terrapin^[33]
21 September	Terrapin			Wallops Island		NACA / NSA

			University of Maryland	Suborbital	Test flight	21 September	Successful
		Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)^[33]
25 September	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	25 September	Successful^[12]
26 September	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	26 September	Successful
		Final flight of the R-5RD^[12]
29 September	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	29 September	Successful^[19]

October

October launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
1 October	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	1 October	Successful
		Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi)^[17]
5 October	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	5 October	Successful
		Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi)^[17]
11 October	HJ-Nike			Wallops Island		NACA

			NACA	Suborbital	REV test	11 October	Successful
		Apogee: 70 kilometres (43 mi)^[21]
13 October	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	13 October	Successful
		Apogee: 102 kilometres (63 mi)^[17]
18 October	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	18 October	Successful
		Apogee: 155 kilometres (96 mi)^[17]
20 October 22:01	Nike-Cajun		AM6.31	Churchill		US Air Force

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	20 October	Successful
		Apogee: 113 kilometres (70 mi), first spaceflight launched from Canadian soil^[30]
23 October 08:40	Aerobee AJ10-34		AM2.21	Churchill		US Army

			SCEL / University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	23 October	Successful
		Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi)^[22]
24 October	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 October	Successful^[18]
25 October	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	25 October	Successful^[18]
25 October	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	25 October	Successful^[19]
25 October	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	25 October	Successful^[19]
26 October	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	26 October	Successful^[18]
25 October	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	25 October	Successful
		Apogee: 124 kilometres (77 mi)^[17]
27 October 21:24	Nike-Cajun		AM6.08	USS Rushmore, Atlantic Ocean, near New York City		US Air Force / US Navy

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	27 October	Successful
		Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)^[30]

November

November launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
1 November 12:57	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 73	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Aeronomy	1 November	Successful
		Apogee: 66 kilometres (41 mi)^[22]
2 November 05:39	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 74	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

		Sodium Release 4	AFCRC	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 November	Successful
		Apogee: 146 kilometres (91 mi);^[22] Three minutes into flight, starting at 60 km (37 mi) and ending at 140 km (87 mi) altitude, 2 kg (4.4 lb) of sodium metal were ejected in vapor form. At 60 km (37 mi), a yellow glow was easily visible, and a dim persistent trail was photographed. Photometric measurements and simultaneous two-site photograph with Super-Schmidt cameras measured the intensity of the emission all along the 80 km (50 mi) of emission.^[34]
2 November 18:40	Nike-Cajun		AM6.09	USS Rushmore, Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland		US Air Force / US Navy

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 November	Successful
		Apogee: 131 kilometres (81 mi)^[30]
3 November	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	3 November	Successful^[19]
3 November	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	3 November	Successful^[12]
4 November 18:54	Nike-Cajun		AM6.10	USS Rushmore, Labrador Sea		US Air Force / US Navy

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	4 November	Successful
		Apogee: 162 kilometres (101 mi)^[30]
5 November	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	5 November	Successful
		Apogee: 118 kilometres (73 mi)^[17]
5 November 07:50	Aerobee Hi		NRL 45	Churchill		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Auroral	5 November	Unknown
		Navy variant designation: RV-N-13b; Altitude not reported, possible failure^[22]
7 November 15:02	Nike-Cajun		AM6.11	USS Rushmore, Davis Strait		US Air Force / US Navy

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	7 November	Successful
		Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)^[30]
10 November 15:17	Nike-Cajun		AM6.12	USS Rushmore, Davis Strait		US Air Force / US Navy

			University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	10 November	Successful
		Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)^[30]
12 November	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	12 November	Successful^[18]
12 November 11:47	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		SM1.01	Churchill		US Army

		Grenades	SCEL / University of Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	12 November	Successful
		Apogee: 67 kilometres (42 mi)^[22]
13 November	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	13 November	Successful^[12]
15 November 19:32	Aerobee Hi		NRL 47	Churchill		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	15 November	Successful
		Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13b^[22]
16 November	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	16 November	Successful^[12]
16 November	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	16 November	Successful
		Apogee: 107 kilometres (66 mi)^[17]
17 November 16:48	Aerobee Hi		NRL 43	Churchill		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray	17 November	Successful
		Apogee: 209 kilometres (130 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13b^[22]
21 November 05:21	Aerobee Hi		NRL 48	Churchill		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric / Auroral	21 November	Successful
		Apogee: 251 kilometres (156 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13c;^[22] equipped with a Bennett radio-frequency ion-mass spectrometer, launched "at night, into an overcast which prevented observations of the overhead sky", succeeded by flights carrying identical instruments in February and March 1958.^[35]
23 November	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	23 November	Successful
		Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi)^[17]
24 November	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	ABM target	24 November	Successful^[12]
		First R-5 to launch as an anti-ballistic missile target for the V-1000 system^[36]

December

December launches
Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
3 December	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	3 December	Successful
		Apogee: 125 kilometres (78 mi)^[17]
6 December	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	6 December	Successful^[18]
6 December	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	6 December	Successful^[12]
7 December	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NACA

			NACA	Suborbital	REV test	7 December	Successful
		Apogee: 30 kilometres (19 mi)^[30]
8 December 06:03	Viking (second model)			Cape Canaveral LC-18A		US Navy

		Vanguard TV-0	NRL	Suborbital	Test flight	8 December	Successful
		Apogee: 203.6 kilometres (126.5 mi), first Project Vanguard test flight using a single-stage Viking (No. 13)^[37]
11 December	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	11 December	Successful
		Apogee: 144 kilometres (89 mi)^[17]
12 December	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	ABM target	12 December	Successful^[12]^[36]
13 December 21:44	Aerobee Hi		USAF 75	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Test flight	13 December	Successful
		Apogee: 193 kilometres (120 mi)^[22]
20 December	A-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	Ionospheric	20 December	Successful^[38]

← Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec →

Suborbital launch statistics

By country

Launches by country
Country		Launches	Successes	Failures	Unknown
	Soviet Union	69	67	2	1
	United States	76	63	12	1
World		145	130	14	2

By rocket

8

16

24

32

40

Launches by rocket
Rocket	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Unknown	Remarks
Viking (second model)	United States	1	1	0	0
Aerobee RTV-N-10	United States	1	0	1	0
Aerobee RTV-N-10c	United States	1	1	0	0
Aerobee Hi (NRL)	United States	8	4	3	1
Aerobee XASR-SC-1	United States	2	2	0	0	Retired
Aerobee RTV-A-1a	United States	5	4	1	0
Aerobee Hi (USAF)	United States	2	1	1	0
Aerobee AJ10-34	United States	9	9	0	0	Maiden flight
Deacon rockoon (NRL)	United States	10	8	2	0	Retired
Nike-Nike-T40-T55	United States	1	1	0	0	Retired
Nike-Cajun	United States	11	11	0	0	Maiden flight
Terrapin	United States	2	1	1	0	Maiden flight
X-17	United States	20	17	3	0
HJ-Nike	United States	2	2	0	0
Jupiter-C	United States	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
R-1	Soviet Union	17	15	2	0
A-1	Soviet Union	1	1	0	0
R-1E	Soviet Union	4	3	0	1	Retired
R-1UK	Soviet Union	10	10	0	0	Maiden flight, retired
R-2	Soviet Union	11	11	0	0
R-5M	Soviet Union	14	14	0	0
R-5RD	Soviet Union	10	10	0	0	Maiden flight, retired
R-5R	Soviet Union	3	3	0	0	Maiden flight, retired

Timeline of spaceflight
Spaceflight before 1951
1950s	1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 H1 H2 1959 H1 H2
1960s	1960 T1 T2 T3 1961 H1 H2 1962 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1963 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1964 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1965 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s	1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s	1990 1991 H1 H2 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s	2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 H1 H2 2019 H1 H2
2020s	2020 2021 H1 H2 2022 H1 H2 2023 H1 H2 2024 H1 H2 2025 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2026 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2027 2028 2029
2030s	2030
Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes

Timeline of spaceflight
Spaceflight before 1951
1950s	1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 H1 H2 1959 H1 H2
1960s	1960 T1 T2 T3 1961 H1 H2 1962 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1963 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1964 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1965 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s	1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s	1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s	1990 1991 H1 H2 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s	2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s	2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 H1 H2 2019 H1 H2
2020s	2020 2021 H1 H2 2022 H1 H2 2023 H1 H2 2024 H1 H2 2025 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2026 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2027 2028 2029
2030s	2030
Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes