1959 in spaceflight

1959 in spaceflight
Orbital launches
First2 January
Last26 November
Total23
Successes10
Failures11
Partial failures2
Catalogued14
Rockets
Maiden flightsThor-Agena
Atlas-Able
Atlas D (suborbital test)
RetirementsVanguard

Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to leave the gravitational influence of Earth. Also in 1959, Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another celestial body, impacting the Moon, and Luna 3 returned the first images of the far side of the Moon.

1959 in spaceflight
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1960 →

Overview

Orbital and suborbital launches

Main articles: 1959 in spaceflight (January–June) and 1959 in spaceflight (July–December)

Deep Space Rendezvous

Date (GMT) Spacecraft Event Remarks
4 January Luna 1 First Lunar flyby Failed impactor, closest approach: 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi)
4 March Pioneer 4 Lunar flyby Closest approach: 60,200 kilometres (37,400 mi)
14 September Luna 2 First Lunar impact Landed in Mare Imbrium, first spacecraft to reach the surface of a celestial body
6 October Luna 3 Lunar flyby First Circumlunar flight, returned 29 pictures including first images of the far side of the Moon; closest approach 6,200 kilometres (3,900 mi)

Orbital launch summary

By country

  Soviet Union
  United States
Orbital launch attempts by country in 1959
Country Launches Successes Failures Partial
failures 		Remarks
 Soviet Union 4 2 2 0
 United States 19 8 9 2

By rocket

Rocket Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures Remarks
Atlas-Able  United States 1 0 1 0 Maiden flight
Juno II  United States 4 1 2 1
Luna 8K72  Soviet Union 4 2 2 0
Thor DM-18 Agena-A  United States 8 5 3 0 Maiden flight
Thor DM-18 Able-II  United States 1 0 1 0
Thor DM-18 Able-III  United States 1 1 0 0
Vanguard  United States 4 1 2 1 Final flight

By orbit

Orbital regime Launches Successes Failures Accidentally
Achieved 		Remarks
Low Earth 12 7 5 0
Medium Earth 4 1 3 0
High Earth 2 2 0 0 Including Highly elliptical orbits
Heliocentric 5 3 2 0

See also

References

  • Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
  • Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
  • Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.[dead link‍]
  • 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.
  • "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
  • "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[dead link‍]
  • "Space Information Center". JAXA.[dead link‍]
  • "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).
  • "Rocket Launch Manifest". Next Spaceflight.
Generic references:

Spaceflight portal

Footnotes