1959 in spaceflight

1959 in spaceflight
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "1959_in_spaceflight".

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The Timeline of Spaceflight WikiProject has identified this article as requiring cleanup and/or expansion to ensure consistency with other timeline aricles.

Concerns have been raised that:

inconsistent date formats are present in the article (d mmmm format should be used throughout)
a large amount of launch information is missing
an inconsistent dialect is used (British English should be used throughout)
the article uses an out-of-date header and/or footer, which requires replacement

See Wikipedia:WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight for guidelines on how to improve the article.

Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1959.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Launch Date/Time	Rocket	Launch Site	Launch Contractor	Payload	Operator	Orbit	Mission/ Function	Re-Entry/ Destruction	Outcome	Remarks
January 2 16:41 GMT	Luna (R-7 8K72)	Baikonur	RVSN	Luna 1	RVSN	Lunar	Lunar impact, Planetary Science	N/A	Partial failure	First ever man-made object to reach the escape velocity of the Earth
January 21	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Test LV	N/A	Failure	Maiden flight of Thor-Agena.
January 23	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Re-entry test	N/A	Failure	Premature cut-out
January 30	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
February 17 15:55 GMT	Vanguard	LC-18A, Cape Canaveral	US Navy	Vanguard 2	US Navy	LEO	Cloud cover research	Still in orbit	Partial Failure	Data affected by uncontrolled gyration of spacecraft
February 28	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Re-entry test	N/A	Successful
February 28 21:49 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 1	DARPA	LEO (polar)	Boilerplate spy satellite	March 3, 1959	Successful	First spacecraft in Polar orbit
March 3 05:10 GMT	Juno II	Cape Canaveral	NASA	Pioneer 4	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Heliocentric orbit)	Lunar Fly-by	N/A	Successful	First U.S. probe to escape from the Earth's gravity
March 17 01:46 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
March 21	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Re-entry test	N/A	Successful
March 21	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
March 25 05:25 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
March 26	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
March 30 22:53 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Failure
April 8	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Re-entry test	N/A	Successful
April 13 21:18 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 2	DARPA	LEO (polar)	Boilerplate spy satellite Demonstrate film capsule recovery	April 26, 1959	Partial Failure	Capsule recovery failed, possibly captured by Soviet Union. Inspired plot of 1963 Alistair MacLean novel Ice Station Zebra
April 14 02:49 GMT	Vanguard	LC-18A, Cape Canaveral	US Navy	Vanguard 3A	US Navy	Intended: LEO	Magnetometer	April 14, 1959	Failure	Second stage damaged during staging
April 14 02:49 GMT	Vanguard	LC-18A, Cape Canaveral	US Navy	30-inch sphere	US Navy	Intended: LEO	Air density satellite	April 14, 1959	Failure	Second stage damaged during staging
April 16 20:46 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-2-8, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
April 25	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
May 9 18:59 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Failure
May 12	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
May 21	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Re-entry test	N/A	Successful
May 22	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
May 30 21:42 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Failure
June 3 20:09 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 3	DARPA	Intended: LEO	Boilerplate spy satellite Demonstrate film capsule recovery	Unknown	Failure	Disappeared during ascent
June 9 20:34 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Failure
June 11	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	Re-entry test	N/A	Successful
June 16 21:45 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-2-7, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Failure	Guidance error
June 18 08:08 GMT	Luna (R-7 8K72)	Baikonur	RVSN	Luna 1959A	RVSN	Lunar	Lunar impact, Planetary Science	N/A	Failure	Inertial system failed at T+153 seconds
June 22 15:55 GMT	Vanguard	LC-18A, Cape Canaveral	US Navy	Vanguard 3B	NASA	Intended: LEO	Radiation balance research	June 22, 1959	Failure	Stage 2 engine failure
June 25	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
June 25 22:47 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-5, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 4	DARPA	Intended:LEO	Surveillance satellite	June 25, 1959	Failure	Failed to reach orbit
June 25 22:47 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-5, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer SRV 102	DARPA	Intended:LEO	Photograph return capsule	June 25, 1959	Failure	Failed to reach orbit
June 29	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
July 18 18:15 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
July 21	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Failure
July 24	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
July 30 04:00 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
August 3 21:41 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-1-1, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
August 5	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
August 7 14:24 GMT	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	Explorer 6	NASA	LEO	Earth imaging, Radiation investigation	June 30, 1961	Successful	Took first pictures of Earth from space.
August 13 19:00 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 5	DARPA	LEO	Surveillance satellite	September 28, 1959	Successful
August 13 19:00 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 5 SRV	DARPA	LEO	Photograph return capsule	February 11, 1961	Failure	Accidentally boosted into higher orbit by de-orbit burn
August 13 23:14 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
August 14	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
August 14 19:36 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-2-6, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Failure	Fuel depleted prematurely
August 19 19:24 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-5, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 6	DARPA	LEO	Surveillance satellite	October 20, 1959	Successful
August 19 19:24 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-5, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 6 SRV	DARPA	LEO	Photograph return capsule	Unknown	Failure	Retro-rocket malfunction
August 21	Little Joe	Wallops Island	NASA	Little Joe 1	NASA	Suborbital	Unmanned Launch escape system test	21 August 1959	Successful
August 27	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
September 12	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
September 12 06:39 GMT	Luna (R-7) 8K72)	Baikonur	RVSN	Luna 2	RVSN	Lunar	Lunar impact, Planetary Science	Impacted on moon September 14, 1959, 22:02 GMT	Successful	First spacecraft to reach the moon, discovered Solar wind.
September 17	Thor Able	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	Transit 1A	DARPA	Intended: LEO	Navigation satellite	September 17, 1959	Failure	Third stage failure
September 17 21:09 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-1-2, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
September 18 05:20 GMT	Vanguard	LC-18A, Cape Canaveral	US Navy	Vanguard 3	US Navy	LEO	Radiation, magnetosphere, and micrometeoroid research	Still in orbit	Partial Failure	Payload failed to separate
September 18 16:02 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
September 22 18:00 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development Ionosphere and Meteorite research	N/A	Successful
October 4	Little Joe	Wallops Island	NASA	Little Joe 6	NASA	Suborbital	Unmanned Launch escape system test	4 October 1959	Successful
October 4 02:24 GMT	Luna (R-7 8K72)	Baikonur	RVSN	Luna 3	RVSN	Lunar	Lunar flyby, Planetary Science	N/A	Successful	First to photograph far-side of the moon.
October 6	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development Ionosphere and Meteorite research	N/A	Successful
October 6 18:26 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-2-8, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
October 13 15:30 GMT	Juno II	Cape Canaveral	Army Ballistic Missile Agency	Explorer 7	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	LEO	Earth Science	1989	Successful
October 13	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
October 21 22:57 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-1-1, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
October 22 17:30 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
October 25 17:32 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
October 28	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development Meteorite research	N/A	Successful
November 1 21:23 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
November 3	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development Meteorite research	N/A	Successful
November 4	Little Joe	Wallops Island	NASA	Little Joe 1A	NASA	Suborbital	Unmanned Launch escape system test	4 November 1959	Partial Failure	Main objectives not achieved due to insufficient dynamic abort pressure
November 7 20:28 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 7	DARPA	Intended: LEO	Surveillance satellite	November 7, 1959	Failure	Failed to orbit
November 7 20:28 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-4, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 7 SRV	DARPA	Intended: LEO	Photograph return capsule	November 7, 1959	Failure	Failed to orbit
November 12 19:24 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-1-2, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
November 19	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
November 20 19:25 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-5, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 8	DARPA	Intended: LEO	Surveillance satellite	March 8, 1960	Failure	Placed in useless, eccentric orbit.
November 20 19:25 GMT	Thor-Agena	LC-75-3-5, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Discoverer 8 SRV	DARPA	Intended: LEO	Photograph return capsule	March 8, 1960	Failure	Placed in useless, eccentric orbit.
November 20 21:06 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
November 26 07:26 GMT	Atlas	LC-14, Cape Canaveral	NASA	Pioneer P-3	Jet Propulsion Laboratory	Lunar	Lunar orbiter	November 26, 1959	Failure	Protective Sheath detached prematurely, disintegrating payload at T+45 seconds
November 27 01:12 GMT	R-7 Semyorka (8K71)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Successful
December 1	Thor DM-18	LC-18B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development	N/A	Successful
December 2 05:29 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-1-1, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Failure
December 4	Little Joe	Wallops Island	NASA	Little Joe 2	NASA	Suborbital	Launch escape system test	4 December 1959	Successful	First Little Joe flight with monkey
December 15 02:14 GMT	Thor DM-18	LC-75-1-2, Vandenberg AFB	RAF	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Training	N/A	Successful
December 17	Thor DM-18	LC-17B, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	IRBM Research & Development Meteorite research	N/A	Successful
December 23 19:05 GMT	R-7A Semyorka (8K74)	LC-1/5, Baikonur		(none)	N/A	N/A	Test flight	N/A	Failure	Thrust vectoring failed Maiden flight of R-7A rocket

Deep Space Rendez-vous in 1959

January 4 — Luna 1 missed the Moon by 6,000 km (impact mission)
March 4 — Pioneer 4 distant flyby of the Moon (60,200 km)
September 14 — Luna 2 impacted at Mare Imbrium (impact mission)
October 6 — Luna 3 flyby of the Moon, 29 pictures (6,200 km)

References

Generic references:

Preceded by 1958	Timeline of spaceflight 1959	Succeeded by 1960

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