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1960 in spaceflight 

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  • the article uses an out-of-date header and/or footer, which requires replacement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 1960.

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 7
01:40 GMT		 Atlas D LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
January 26
22:43 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-A3, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM operational test N/A Failure
January 27
01:31 GMT		 Atlas D LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
February 2 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
February 5 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-3 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle February 5, 1960 Failure
February 12
04:11 GMT		 Atlas D LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
February 15 Atlas D Able Cape Canaveral US Air Force Pioneer 31 NASA Lunar exploration Never left the ground Failure Exploded on pad
February 24 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle February 24, 1960 Successful
March 8 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-3 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle March 8, 1960 Failure Second stage malfunction
March 8
13:10 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17 US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful First use of internal guidance
March 11
00:36 GMT		 Atlas D LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure Propulsion system malfunction
March 11
13:00 GMT		 Thor-DM18 Able-4 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA Pioneer 5 NASA interplanetary Investigation of interplanetary space June 26, 1960 (last signal) Successful intended as Venus fly-by, reached heliocentric orbit
March 22 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle March 22, 1960 Successful
April 1
11:45 GMT		 Thor Able-2 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA TIROS 1 NASA LEO Weather satellite June 15, 1960 Successful First successful weather satellite
April 8
02:06 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure Propulsion system malfunction
April 8 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-3 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle April 8, 1960 Failure Second stage malfunction
April 13 Thor Able-Star LC-17, Cape Canaveral DoD Transit 1B DoD LEO Satellite navigation system N/A Successful First engine restart in space
April 15 Thor-Agena-A Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 11 aka KH-1 8 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite N/A Partial success Film capsule recovery failed
April 18 Vought Scout X Wallops Island US Air Force (none) N/A N/A Test LV N/A Failure Structural Failure during staging.
First, last, and only flight of Scout X rocket
April 21 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle April 21, 1960 Successful
April 22
19:39 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B2, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Operational readiness test N/A Successful
April 28 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-3 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle April 28, 1960 Successful
May 6
16:47 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B2, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Operational readiness test N/A Failure
May 13 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle May 4, 1960 Successful
May 15 R-7 8K72 (Vostok/A-1) Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik 1 (Sputnik 4) RVSN LEO Test prototype Vostok spacecraft Partial Failure Guidance malfunction prevented retrofire test, all other aspects successful
May 20
15:00 GMT		 Atlas D LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful Record distance for sub-orbital flight - (9040 miles)
May 24
11:30 GMT		 Saunders-Roe Black Knight Woomera RAE Gaslight Re-entry vehicle RAE Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle May 24, 1960 Failure
May 24
17:31 GMT		 Atlas-Agena-A LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Midas 2 US Air Force LEO Detection of IR-sources May 26, 1960 Successful
May 27 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle May 27, 1960 Successful
June 4 R-7 (A-1) Baikonur RVSN (none) N/A N/A Operational Readiness Test N/A Successful
June 11
06:30 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
June 21
10:05 GMT		 Saunders-Roe Black Knight Woomera RAE Gaslight Re-entry vehicle RAE Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle June 21, 1960 Successful
June 22
06:00 GMT		 Thor-Able-Star Thor Agena-A US Navy Transit 2A US Navy LEO Satellite navigation system N/A Successful
Solrad 1 US Navy LEO Solar physics N/A Successful
June 22
14:49 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure Electrical malfunction
June 24 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle June 24, 1960 Successful
June 28
02:30 GMT		 Atlas D LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
July 1 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle July 1, 1960 Failure Exploded above pad
July 2
00:04 GMT		 Scout X-1 Wallops Island US Air Force (none) N/A N/A Test LV N/A Failure First flight of Scout X-1
July 2
06:58 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure Electrical malfunction
July 22
23:46 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B1, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure
July 25
11:54 GMT		 Saunders-Roe Black Knight Woomera RAE Gaslight Re-entry vehicle RAE Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle July 25, 1960 Successful
July 28 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle July 28, 1960 Failure
July 28 R-7 8K72 (Vostok/A-1) Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik, 2 dogs RVSN Intended: LEO Test prototype Vostok spacecraft July 28, 1960 Failure Exploded above pad
July 29
14:13 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Atlas 1 NASA Intended: LEO Test Mercury spacecraft August 9, 1960 Failure LV exploded
August 9
18:09 GMT		 Atlas D LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
August 10 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle August 10, 1960 Successful
August 10
20:38 GMT		 Thor Agena-A Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 13 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite August 11, 1960 Successful First successful recovery of object from orbit
August 12
13:00 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
August 12
09:36 GMT		 Delta DM-19 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA Echo 1 NASA LEO Communications satellite (passive) May 24, 1968 Successful 30.5 m diameter balloon
August 18
19:55 GMT		 Thor Agena-A Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 14 US Air Force LEO (polar) Spy satellite August 19, 1960 Successful First aerial recovery from orbit
August 19 R-7 8K72 (Vostok/A-1) Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5)
various animals and plants		 RVSN LEO Test prototype Vostok spacecraft Successful
August 30 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle August 30, 1960 Successful
September 12
20:38 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B3, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure
September 13
22:19 GMT		 Thor Agena-A Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 15 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite Partial failure capsule recovery failed
September 17
00:50 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
September 19
18:31 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
September 21
13:02 GMT		 Vought Blue Scout Cape Canaveral US Air Force HETS US Air Force Investigate radiation Failure Spacecraft radio malfunction - no data relayed
First Blue Scout launch
September 25 Atlas D Able Cape Canaveral US Air Force Pioneer P-30 NASA Lunar exploration. September 25, 1960 Failure Exploded during ascent
September 28 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle September 28, 1960 Successful
September 29 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle September 29, 1960 Successful
September 29
20:21 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B2, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure
October 4
15:23 GMT		 Scout X-1 Wallops Island US Air Force USAF Radiation Probe US Air Force Investigate radiation Successful
October 4
17:45 GMT		 Thor Able-Star LC-17, Cape Canaveral US Army Courier 1B US Army LEO Communications satellite October 21, 1960 Successful First active repeater
October 7 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle October 7, 1960 Successful
October 10
14:27 GMT		 Molniya Baikonur USSR Mars 1960A aka Marsnik 1 USSR intended Mars fly-by Mars exploration October 10, 1960 Failure Destroyed in a launch failure
October 13
04:53 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B3, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Failure
October 13
09:34 GMT		 Atlas D LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful 3 black mice carried aboard and recovered
October 22
05:13 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
October 24 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle October 24, 1960 Successful
November 3
11:16 GMT		 Juno II LC-26, Cape Canaveral NASA Explorer 8 NASA LEO Ionospheric exploration December 27, 1960 Successful
November 8
13:18 GMT		 Vought Blue Scout Cape Canaveral US Air Force HETS US Air Force Investigate magnetosphere Failure
November 12
20:38 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 17 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite November 14, 1960 Successful
November 15
05:54 GMT		 Atlas D LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
November 16
20:35 GMT		 Atlas D Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
November 21
14:00 GMT		 Redstone LC-5, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Redstone 1 NASA Intended: Sub-orbital Test Mercury spacecraft T+1 second Failure Engine failed at T+1 second, rocket fell back onto the pad without exploding. Launch Escape system fired, but

did not remove capsule
November 23
11:13 GMT		 Delta DM-19 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA TIROS 2 NASA LEO Weather satellite January 22, 1961 Successful
December 1
07:30 GMT		 R-7 8K72 (Vostok/A-1) Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik 3 (Sputnik 6), various animals and plants. RVSN LEO Test prototype Vostok spacecraft December 2, 1960 Failure Disintergrated during re-entry
December 3 Titan I Vandenberg AFB US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle Never left ground Failure Exploded on pad following collapse of tower.
December 4
21:14 GMT		 Scout X-1 Wallops Island US Air Force Explorer (9) S 56 US Air Force Intended: LEO Investigate radiation December 4, 1960 Failure Second stage malfunction
December 7
20:38 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 18 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite November 10, 1960 Successful
December 15 Atlas D Able Cape Canaveral US Air Force Pioneer P-31 NASA Lunar exploration December 15, 1960 Failure Exploded during ascent
December 19
16:15 GMT		 Redstone LC-5, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Redstone 1A NASA Sub-orbital Test Mercury spacecraft December 19, 1960 Successful
December 20 Titan I Cape Canaveral US Air Force RVX-4 Re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle December 20, 1960 Failure
December 20
20:38 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 19 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite N/A Successful
December 22 R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1) Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik, 2 dogs RVSN Intended:LEO Test prototype Vostok spacecraft December 22, 1960 Failure Third stage malfunction. Dogs recovered alive.

References

Generic references:
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Preceded by
1959		 Timeline of spaceflight
1960		 Succeeded by
1961
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