1960 in spaceflight

1960 in spaceflight

The launch escape system fires following the failed launch of Mercury-Redstone 1
Orbital launches
First	4 February
Last	22 December
Total	38
Successes	19
Failures	19
Partial failures	0
Catalogued	19
National firsts
Spaceflight	Japan China
Rockets
Maiden flights	Atlas-Agena Molniya Scout X-1 Thor DM-18 Able-IV Thor DM-21 Ablestar Thor DM-21 Agena-B Thor DM-19 Delta Vostok-L Vostok-K
Retirements	Atlas-Able Luna Thor-Able Thor DM-18 Agena-A Vostok-L

1960 in spaceflight featured a majority of launches conducted by the United States, with the Soviet Union launching less that a fourth of flights that year. The majority of flights this year were sub-orbital, and featured the maiden voyages of many astronauts.

1960 in spaceflight

Timeline of spaceflight

Orbital and Suborbital launches

Main articles: 1960 in spaceflight (January–April), 1960 in spaceflight (May–August), and 1960 in spaceflight (September-December)

Orbital launch statistics

By country

Country		Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures
	Soviet Union	9	3	6	0
	United States	29	16	13	0
World		38	19	19	0

By rocket

Rocket	Country	Family	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Atlas-Able	United States	Atlas	2	0	2	0	Retired
Atlas LV-3A Agena-A	United States	Atlas	3	1	2	0	Maiden flight
Juno II	United States	Jupiter	2	1	1	0
Luna 8K72	Soviet Union	R-7	2	0	2	0	Retired
Molniya 8K78	Soviet Union	R-7	2	0	2	0	Maiden flight
Scout X-1	United States	Scout	1	0	1	0	Maiden flight
Thor DM-18 Able-II	United States	Thor	1	1	0	0	Retired
Thor DM-18 Able-IV	United States	Thor	1	1	0	0	Only flight
Thor DM-21 Ablestar	United States	Thor	5	3	2	0	Maiden flight
Thor DM-18 Agena-A	United States	Thor	7	4	3	0	Retired
Thor DM-21 Agena-B	United States	Thor	4	3	1	0	Maiden flight
Thor DM-19 Delta	United States	Thor	3	2	1	0	Maiden flight
Vostok-L 8K72	Soviet Union	R-7	4	3	1	0	Only flights
Vostok-K 8K72K	Soviet Union	R-7	1	0	1	0	Maiden flight

By family

Rocket	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Atlas	United States	5	1	4	0
Jupiter	United States	2	1	1	0
R7	Soviet Union	9	3	6	0
Scout	United States	1	0	1	0
Thor	United States	21	14	7	0

By orbit

Orbital regime	Launches	Successes	Failures	Accidentally Achieved	Remarks
Low Earth	26	16	10	0
Medium Earth	4	2	2	0
High Earth	1	0	1	0	Including Highly elliptical orbits
Heliocentric	7	1	6	0

Further reading

• Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
• Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
• Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
• Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
• Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
• McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
• Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
• Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
• Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
• Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
• "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
• "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
• "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).
• "Rocket Launch Manifest". Next Spaceflight.
• "Space Launch Plans". Novosti Kosmonavtiki.
• "Space Satellite Tracking". N2YO.

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