1953 in spaceflight
The year 1953 saw the rockoon joining the Aerobee sounding rocket beyond the 100 kilometres (62 mi) boundary of space (as defined by the World Air Sports Federation),[1]. Both the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics continued their development of ballistic missiles, the United States Air Force with its Atlas ICBM, the United States Army with its Redstone SRBM, the Soviet OKB-1 with its R-5 IRBM, and Factory 586 with its R-12 IRBM.
Rockets | |
---|---|
Maiden flights | R-5 Pobeda |
Retirements | Aerobee RTV-A-1 Aerobee XASR-SC-1 Aerobee XASR-SC-2 |
Space exploration highlights
U.S. Navy
On 25 May, 1953, Viking 10, originally planned to be the last of the Naval Research Laboratory-built Viking rockets, arrived at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A successful static firing on 18 June cleared the way for a 30 June launch date, a schedule that had been made months prior, before the rocket had even left the Glenn L. Martin Company plant where it had been built.
At the moment of liftoff, the tail of Viking 10 exploded, setting the rocket afire. Water was immediately flooded into the rocket's base in an attempt to extinguish the fire, but flames continued to burn in the East Quadrant of the firing platform. Half an hour after launch, two of the launch team under manager Milton Rosen were dispatched to put out the fire to salvage what remained of the rocket.
Their successful efforts were then threatened by a slow leak in the propellant tank. The vacuum created by the departing fuel was causing the tank to dimple with the danger of implosion that would cause the rocket to collapse. Lieutenant Joseph Pitts, a member of the launch team, shot a rifle round into the tank, equalizing the pressure and saving the rocket.
Three hours after the attempted launch, the last of the alcohol propellant had been drained from Viking 10. The launch team was able to salvage the instrument package of cameras, including X-ray detectors, cosmic ray emulsions, and a radio-frequency mass-spectrometer, valued at tens of thousands of dollars, although there was concern that the rocket was irreparable.
A thorough investigation of the explosion began in July, but a conclusive cause could not be determined. In a reported presented in September, Milton Rosen noted that a similar occurrence had not happened in more than 100 prior tests of the Viking motor. It was decided to rebuild Viking 10, and a program for closer monitoring of potential fail points was implemented for the next launch, scheduled for 1954.[2]
American civilian efforts
After the successful field tests of balloon-launched rockets (rockoons) the previous year, the University of Iowa physics team lead by Professor James Van Allen, embarked on a second rockoon expedition aboard the USS Staten Island in summer 1953 with improved equipment. The new Skyhook balloons increased the rocket firing altitude from 40,000 feet (12,000 m) to 50,000 feet (15,000 m) affording a peak rocket altitude of 57 miles (92 km). The total payload weights were increased by 2 pounds (0.91 kg) to 30 pounds (14 kg). Between 18 July and 5 September, the Iowa team launched 16 rockoons from a variety of latitudes, seven of which reached useful altitudes and returned usable data. An NRL team aboard the same vessel launched six rockoons, of which half were complete successes. Data from these launches provided the first evidence of radiation associated with aurora borealis.[3]
Soviet Union
The R-5 missile, able to carry the same 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) payload as the R-1 and R-2 but over a distance of 1,200 kilometres (750 mi)[4]:242 underwent its first series of eight test launches from 15 March to 23 May, 1953. After two failures, the third rocket, launched 2 April, marked the beginning of streak of success. Seven more missiles were launched between 30 October and December, all of which reached their targets. A final series of launches, designed to test modifications made in response to issues with the first series, was scheduled for mid-1954.[5]:100–101
Vehicle development
U.S. Air Force
Development of the Atlas, the nation's first ICBM proceeded slowly throughout 1953. Without firm figures as to the weight and dimension of a thermonuclear device (the U.S. tested its first H-Bom in November 1952, the U.S.S.R. announced their first successful test in August 1953), it was not known if the Atlas could deliver an atomic bomb payload.
In spring 1953, Colonel Bernard Schriever, an assistant in development planning at The Pentagon and a proponent of long-ranged ballistic missiles, pushed to obtain accurate characteristics of a nuclear payload. Trevor Gardner, special assistant for research and development to the new Secretary of the Air force, Harold Talbott, responded by organizing the Strategic Missiles Evaluation Committee or "Teapot Committee" comprising eleven of the top scientists and engineers in the country. Their goal would be to determine if a nuclear payload could be made small enough to fit on the Atlas rocket. If so, the importance of the committee's members would allow such findings to accelerate Atlas development. By October, committee member John von Neumann had completed his report on weights and figures indicating that smaller, more powerful warheads within Atlas' launch capability would soon be available. Pending test verification of von Neumann's theoretical results, the Air Force began revising the Atlas design for the projected nuclear payload.[6]
U.S. Army
The first production Redstone, a surface-to-surface missile capable of delivering nuclear or conventional warheads to a range of 200 miles (320 km), was delivered on 27 July 1953. A Redstone R&D missile was flight tested on 20 August 1953.[7]
Soviet Union
In his brief tenure as Director of NII-88, responsible for the production of all Soviet ballistic missiles, engineer Mikhail Yangel chafed professionally with OKB-1 (formerly NII-88 Section 3) Chief Designer, Sergei Korolev, whom he had previously reported to as Deputy Chief Designer of the bureau. To relieve this tension, on 4 October 1953, Yangel was demoted to NII-88 Chief Engineer and assigned responsibility for production of missiles at State Union Plant No. 586 in Dnepropetrovsk. This plant under, Vasiliy Budnik, had been tasked on 13 February 1953 with developing the R-12 missile, possessing a performance similar to that of the R-5 (range of 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) vs. 1,200 kilometres (750 mi)) but using storable propellants so that it could be stored at firing readiness for extended periods of time.[5]:113–114
At the end of 1953, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, it was determined that a transportable thermonuclear device be developed (as opposed to the one detonated in August, which was stationary). It as further determined that an ICBM be developed to carry said bomb. As no ICBMs existed at the time, in reality or even in planning, development of a nuclear capable R-5 (dubbed the "R-5M") was ordered.[4]:275
Launches
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
February | |||||||
10 February 21:09 |
Aerobee RTV-N-10 | White Sands - Launch Complex 35 | NRL | ||||
NRL | Suborbital | Mass spectrometry | 10 February | Successful | |||
Apogee: 137 kilometres (85 mi)[8] | |||||||
12 February 07:09 |
Aerobee RTV-N-10 | White Sands LC-35 | NRL | ||||
NRL | Suborbital | Mass spectrometry | 12 February | Successful | |||
Apogee: 137.3 kilometres (85.3 mi)[8] | |||||||
18 February 06:50 |
Aerobee XASR-SC-2 | White Sands LC-35 | US Air Force | ||||
GRENADES | US Air Force | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 18 February | Successful | ||
Apogee: 106.9 kilometres (66.4 mi)[8] | |||||||
18 February 06:50 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
ARDC | Suborbital | Test | 18 February | Successful | |||
Apogee: 117.5 kilometres (73.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
March | |||||||
1 March | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 March | Successful[9] | |||
5 March | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 5 March | Successful[9] | |||
15 March | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 15 March | Launch failure | |||
Maiden flight of R-5 Pobeda[10] | |||||||
18 March | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 18 March | Launch failure[10] | |||
19 March | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 March | Successful[9] | |||
April | |||||||
2 April | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 2 April | Successful | |||
First successful R-5 launch[10] | |||||||
8 April | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 8 April | Launch failure | |||
14 April 15:47 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
ARDC | Suborbital | Test | 14 April | Successful | |||
Apogee: 122.3 kilometres (76.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
23 April 19:33 |
Aerobee XASR-SC-2 | White Sands - Launch Complex 35 | US Air Force | ||||
SPHERE | US Air Force | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 23 April | Successful | ||
Apogee: 124 kilometres (77 mi)[8] | |||||||
24 April 10:19 |
Aerobee XASR-SC-2 | White Sands LC-35 | US Air Force | ||||
GRENADES | US Air Force | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 24 April | Successful | ||
Apogee: 107.8 kilometres (67.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
April | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Successful | ||||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
May | |||||||
11 May | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 March | Successful[9] | |||
20 May 14:04 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
Airglow-3 | ARDC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 20 May | Successful | ||
Apogee: 114.3 kilometres (71.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
21 May 15:47 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman LC-A | ARDC | ||||
Airglow-4 | ARDC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 21 May | Successful | ||
Apogee: 114.3 kilometres (71.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
23 May | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 23 May | Successful | |||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
May | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Successful | ||||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
May | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Successful | ||||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
June | |||||||
3 June | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 3 June | Successful | |||
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi) | |||||||
26 June 19:10 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
AF / Utah Ionosphere 3 Ionosphere mission | ARDC | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 26 June | Successful | ||
Apogee: 135.2 kilometres (84.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
July | |||||||
1 July 17:52 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
AF / Utah Ionosphere 4 Ionosphere mission | ARDC | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 1 July | Successful | ||
Apogee: 138.4 kilometres (86.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
6 July | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 6 July | Successful[9] | |||
14 July 15:30 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman LC-A | ARDC | ||||
ARDC | Suborbital | Solar UV | 14 July | Successful | |||
Apogee: 103 kilometres (64 mi)[8] | |||||||
18 July 22:27 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 1 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-8 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 18 July | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
19 July 10:30 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 2 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-9 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 19 July | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
19 July 15:53 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 3 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-10 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 19 July | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
19 July 21:57 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 4 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-11 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 19 July | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
23 July 09:47 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman LC-A | ARDC | ||||
ARDC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 23 July | Successful | |||
Apogee: 95.6 kilometres (59.4 mi)[8] | |||||||
24 July 16:40 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 5 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-12 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 24 July | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
29 July 09:41 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 6 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-13 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 29 July | Successful | ||
Apogee: 90 kilometres (56 mi)[11] | |||||||
August | |||||||
3 August 18:28 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 7 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-14 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 3 August | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
5 August 21:54 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 21 | US Navy | ||||
Naval Research Laboratory | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 5 August | ||||
Apogee: 80 kilometres (50 mi);[11] first of six 1953 flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data[3] | |||||||
6 August 15:07 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 8 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-15 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 6 August | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
6 August 18:40 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 9 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-16 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 6 August | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 96 kilometres (60 mi)[11] | |||||||
8 August 15:09 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 22 | US Navy | ||||
Naval Research Laboratory | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 8 August | ||||
Apogee: 80 kilometres (50 mi);[11] second of six 1953 flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data[3] | |||||||
9 August 05:54 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 10 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-17 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 9 August | Successful | ||
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)[11] | |||||||
9 August 19:15 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 23 | US Navy | ||||
Naval Research Laboratory | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 9 August | Launch failure | |||
Apogee: 38 kilometres (24 mi);[11] third of six 1953 flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data[3] | |||||||
11 August 17:09 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 24 | US Navy | ||||
Naval Research Laboratory | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 11 August | ||||
Apogee: 80 kilometres (50 mi);[11] fourth of six 1953 flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data[3] | |||||||
30 August 14:00 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 11 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-18 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 30 August | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
30 August 16:20 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 12 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-19 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 30 August | Launch failure | ||
Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)[11] | |||||||
30 August 20:46 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 13 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-20 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 30 August | Successful | ||
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)[11] | |||||||
September | |||||||
1 September 05:05 |
Aerobee XASR-SC-2 | White Sands - Launch Complex 35 | US Air Force | ||||
GRENADES | US Air Force | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 1 September | Successful | ||
Apogee: 107.8 kilometres (67.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
3 September 09:50 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 14 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-21 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 3 September | Successful | ||
Apogee: 90 kilometres (56 mi)[8] | |||||||
3 September 11:51 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 15 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-22 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 3 September | Successful | ||
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)[8] | |||||||
3 September 14:05 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 16 | US Navy | ||||
SUI-23 | University of Iowa | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 3 September | Successful | ||
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)[8] | |||||||
4 September 03:59 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 25 | US Navy | ||||
Naval Research Laboratory | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 4 September | ||||
Apogee: 70 kilometres (43 mi);[11] fifth of six 1953 flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data[3] | |||||||
4 September 15:51 |
Deacon Rockoon | USS Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean Launch Site 11, Launch Point 26 | US Navy | ||||
Naval Research Laboratory | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Ionospheric | 4 September | ||||
Apogee: 70 kilometres (43 mi);[11] sixth of six 1953 flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data[3] | |||||||
5 September 05:36 |
Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | White Sands LC-35 | US Air Force | ||||
GRENADES | US Air Force | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 5 September | Successful | ||
Apogee: 105.5 kilometres (65.6 mi)[8] | |||||||
15 September 15:02 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
Airglow-5 | ARDC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 15 September | Partial launch failure | ||
Apogee: 32.2 kilometres (20.0 mi) (Early cut-off due to a thrust chamber burn-through; subsequent shots incorporated improved chamber cooling)[8] | |||||||
29 September 20:05 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman LC-A | ARDC | ||||
Sphere | ARDC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 29 September | Successful | ||
Apogee: 58 kilometres (36 mi)[8] | |||||||
October | |||||||
1 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 October | Successful[12] | |||
1 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 October | Successful[12] | |||
1 October | R-2 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 October | Successful[13] | |||
1 October | R-2 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 October | Successful[13] | |||
7 October 17:00 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
ARDC | Suborbital | Solar | 7 October | Successful | |||
Apogee: 99.8 kilometres (62.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
10 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 10 October | Successful | |||
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi) | |||||||
10 October | R-2 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 10 October | Successful[13] | |||
16 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 16 October | Successful[9] | |||
17 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 17 October | Successful[9] | |||
19 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 October | Successful[9] | |||
20 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 20 October | Successful[9] | |||
24 October | R-2 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 24 October | Successful[13] | |||
26 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 26 October | Successful[9] | |||
27 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 27 October | Successful[9] | |||
28 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 28 October | Successful[9] | |||
28 October | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 28 October | Successful[9] | |||
30 October | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 30 October | Successful | |||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
November | |||||||
1 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 November | Successful[12] | |||
1 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 November | Successful[12] | |||
1 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 November | Successful[12] | |||
1 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 November | Successful[12] | |||
2 November 18:32 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Holloman AFB Launch Complex A | ARDC | ||||
AF / Utah Ionosphere 5 Ionosphere mission | ARDC | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 2 November | Successful | ||
Apogee: 120.7 kilometres (75.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
3 November 18:15 |
Aerobee | Holloman LC-A | ARDC | ||||
AF / Utah Ionosphere 6 Ionosphere mission | ARDC | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 3 November | Successful | ||
Apogee: 121 kilometres (75 mi)[8] | |||||||
12 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 12 November | Successful[9] | |||
15 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 15 November | Successful[12] | |||
15 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 15 November | Successful[9] | |||
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi) | |||||||
19 November 22:40 |
Aerobee RTV-N-10 | White Sands - Launch Complex 35 | NRL | ||||
NRL | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Solar | 19 November | Successful | |||
Apogee: 112.6 kilometres (70.0 mi)[8] | |||||||
24 November | R-1 | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 24 November | Successful[9] | |||
25 November 15:46 |
Aerobee RTV-N-10 | White Sands LC-35 | NRL | ||||
NRL | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Solar | 25 November | Successful | |||
Apogee: 95.1 kilometres (59.1 mi)[8] | |||||||
December | |||||||
1 December 15:30 |
Aerobee RTV-N-10 | White Sands - Launch Complex 35 | NRL | ||||
NRL | Suborbital | Aeronomy/Solar | 1 December | Successful | |||
Apogee: 129.6 kilometres (80.5 mi)[8] | |||||||
9 December | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 9 December | Successful | |||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
December | R-5 Pobeda | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | ||||
OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Successful | ||||
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi) | |||||||
Suborbital launch summary
By country
Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures |
Unknown | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soviet Union | 44 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
United States | 46 | 41 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
By rocket
Rocket | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Unknown | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Viking (second model) | United States | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Aerobee RTV-N-10 | United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Aerobee XASR-SC-2 | United States | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Aerobee RTV-A-1a | United States | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
UoI Deacon rockoon | United States | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Maiden flight |
NRL Deacon rockoon | United States | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight |
R-1 | Soviet Union | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
R-2 | Soviet Union | 4 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
R-5 | Soviet Union | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
References
- Voosen, Paul (24 July 2018). "Outer space may have just gotten a bit closer". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aau8822. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
- Milton W. Rosen (1955). The Viking Rocket Story. New York: Harper & Brothers. pp. 204–221. OCLC 317524549.
- George Ludwig (2011). Opening Space Research. Washington D.C.: geopress. pp. 18–32. OCLC 845256256.
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