1959 in spaceflight
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[edit] 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 |
SS-6/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 2 | Cape Canaveral | NASA | Pioneer 4 | Jet Propulson Laboratory | Heliocentric orbit) | Lunar Fly-by | N/A | Successful | First U.S. probe to escape from the Earth's gravity |
| 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 26 | Thor DM-18 | LC-17B, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | (none) | N/A | N/A | IRBM Research & Development | N/A | Successful | |
| 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 |
| 30-inch sphere | US Navy | Intended: LEO | Air density satellite | April 14, 1959 | Failure | |||||
| 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 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 | |
| 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 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 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 |
| Discoverer SRV 102 | DARPA | Intended:LEO | Photograph return capsule | June 25, 1959 | Failure | |||||
| June 29 | Thor DM-18 | LC-17B, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | (none) | N/A | N/A | IRBM Research & Development | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Discoverer 5 SRV | DARPA | LEO | Photograph return capsule | February 11, 1961 | Failure | Accidentally boosted into higher orbit by de-orbit burn | ||||
| 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 | |
| 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 |
SS-6/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 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 |
SS-6/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 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 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 |
| Discoverer 7 SRV | DARPA | Intended: LEO | Photograph return capsule | November 7, 1959 | Failure | |||||
| 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. |
| Discoverer 8 SRV | DARPA | Intended: LEO | Photograph return capsule | March 8, 1960 | Failure | |||||
| November 26 07:26 GMT |
Atlas V[citation needed] | 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 |
| 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 |
[edit] 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)
[edit] References
- Encyclopedia Astronautica
- Gunter's Space Page - Chronology of Space Launches
- JAXA
- Jonathan's Space Report (SatCat.txt and Launchlog.txt)
- Mission Set Database (NASA GFC)
- NASA
- Orbital Report News Agency's Launch Logs
- Space Calander (NASA JPL)
- Southwest Space Archive
- SPACE.com Launch Forecast
- SpaceFlightNow
- Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
- U.S. Space Objects Registry
| Preceded by 1958 |
Timeline of spaceflight 1959 |
Succeeded by 1960 |
