1961 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.

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[edit] Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1961.

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 20 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 20 January 1961 Failure
January 23 Atlas D LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful
January 24
21:55 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure Loss of control
January 31
20:21 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena A LC-1-1, Point Arguello US Air Force Samos 2 US Air Force LEO Surveillance satellite Successful
January 31
16:04 GMT		 Redstone (MRLV) LC-5, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station US Air Force Mercury-Redstone 2, 1 Chimpanzee NASA Sub-orbital Test Mercury spacecraft and LV 31 January 1961 Successful First chimpanzee in space
February 4
09:36 GMT		 Molniya Baikonur USSR Sputnik 7 USSR Intended:Venus fly-by Venus exploration N/A Failure Only reached earth orbit as 4th stage ignition failed
February 7
00:52 GMT		 R-7 Baikonur RVSN (none) N/A N/A Operational ICBM Test N/A Successful
February 7
12:46 GMT		 Black Knight LA-5, Woomera RAE Gaslight re-entry vehicle RAE Sub-orbital Test re-entry vehicle 7 February 1961 Successful
February 10 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 10 February 1961 Successful
February 12
00:34 GMT		 Molniya Baikonur USSR Venera 1 USSR Venus fly-by Venus exploration reaches heliocentric orbit Successful First successful Venus mission, Fly-by 19 May 1961
February 16
13:12 GMT		 Scout-X1 Wallops Island NASA Explorer 9 NASA LEO Atmospheric density measurements 9 April 1964 Successful
February 17
20:24 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 20 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite N/A Partial success Capsule recovery failed
February 18
22:48 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 21 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite N/A Successful Tested engine restart in space
February 20 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 20 February 1961 Successful
February 21
14:12 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Atlas 2 NASA Sub-orbital Test LV and Mercury spacecraft 21 February 1961 Successful
February 22
14:12 GMT		 Thor Able-Star LC-17, Cape Canaveral US Navy Transit 3B US Navy LEO Satellite navigation system 31 March 1961 Partial failure Planned separation of satellites failed, still data were transmitted
LOFTI US Navy LEO Exploration of radio wave propagation 31 March 1961
February 24
18:29 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful
March 3 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 3 March 1961 Failure
March 9
06:29 GMT		 R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1) LC-1, Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik 4, 1 dog , 1 mannequin RVSN LEO Test LV and Vostok spacecraft 9 March 1961 Successful
March 14
04:17 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure Propellent system malfunction
March 18 Little Joe Wallops Island NASA Little Joe 5A NASA Suborbital Unmanned Launch escape system test 18 March 1961 Successful
March 24
17:30 GMT		 Redstone (MRLV) LC-5, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Boilerplate Mercury spacecraft NASA Sub-Orbital Test LV 24 March 1961 Successful
March 25
01:49 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure Electrical malfunction
March 25
05:54 GMT		 R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1) LC-1, Baikonur RVSN Korabl-Sputnik 5, 1 dog , 1 mannequin RVSN LEO Test LV and Vostok spacecraft 25 March 1961 Successful
March 25
15:17 GMT		 Delta DM-19 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA Explorer 10 NASA Highly Elliptical Orbit Magnetic field exploration N/A Successful Apogee 222,000 km, battery limitations allowed only lifetime of 52 h
March 28 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 28 March 1961 Successful
March 30
05:13 GMT		 Thor DM-18 LC-75-2-7, Vandenberg AFB RAF (none) N/A N/A Combat Training N/A Successful
March 31 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 31 March 1961 Failure
April 8
18:00 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 23 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite N/A Successful
April 12
06:07 GMT		 R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1) LC-1, Baikonur RVSN Vostok 1, 1 Cosmonaut (Yuri Gagarin) RVSN LEO Manned orbital flight 12 April 1961
08:05 GMT		 Successful First manned spaceflight
April 22 Jupiter LC-26A, Cape Canaveral NATO (Italy) (none) N/A N/A Combat Training N/A Successful
April 25
16:15 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Atlas 3 NASA Intended: LEO Test LV & Mercury spacecraft Destroyed by RSO
T+20 seconds		 Failure Guidance malfunction.
Launch Escape system functioned well
April 27
14:10 GMT		 Juno II LC-26, Cape Canaveral NASA Explorer 11 NASA LEO Gamma-ray astronomy N/A Successful
April 28 Little Joe Wallops Island NASA Little Joe 5B NASA Suborbital Unmanned Launch escape system test 28 April 1961 Successful
May 3 Titan I SLTF, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A Demonstrate silo launch N/A Successful
May 5
14:34 GMT		 Redstone (MRLV) LC-5, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Redstone 3, 1 Astronaut (Alan Shepard) NASA Sub-orbital Manned sub-orbital flight May 5. 1961
14:49 GMT		 Successful First American in space.
May 9
12:07 GMT		 Black Knight LA-5, Woomera RAE Gaslight re-entry vehicle RAE Sub-orbital Test re-entry vehicle May 9. 1961 Successful
May 13 Atlas E LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research & development N/A Successful
May 23 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 23 May 1961 Successful
May 24
21:50 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B2, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful
May 26
02:26 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure Loss of control
June 7
11:20 GMT		 Black Knight LA-5, Woomera RAE Gaslight re-entry vehicle RAE Sub-orbital Test re-entry vehicle June 7, 1961 Failure
June 7
21:31 GMT		 Atlas E OSTF, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure
June 16
23:02 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 25 US Air Force LEO Military satellite 12 July 1961 Successful
June 20
23:54 GMT		 Thor DM-18 LC-72-5-7, Vandenberg AFB RAF (none) N/A N/A Combat training N/A Successful
June 23
03:00 GMT		 Atlas E LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure Loss of control
June 23 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 23 June 1961 Failure
June 29
04:20 GMT		 Thor Able-Star LC-17, Cape Canaveral US Navy Transit 4A US Navy LEO Satellite navigation system Still in orbit Successful
Injun 1 US Navy LEO Ionospheric exploration Still in orbit Failure Injun 1 and Solrad 3 failed to separate
Solrad 3 aka Greb 3 US Navy LEO Solar physics Still in orbit
July 7
04:51 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful
July 7
23:11 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 26 US Air Force LEO Surveillance, Space physics 10 July 1961 Successful
July 12
10:19 GMT		 Delta DM-19 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA TIROS 3 NASA LEO Weather satellite 28 February 1962 (deactivated) Successful
July 12
15:37 GMT		 Atlas Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force MIDAS 3 US Air Force MEO Missile Defense Satellite Still In Orbit Successful
July 20 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 20 July 1961 Successful
July 21
12:20 GMT		 Redstone (MRLV) LC-5, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Redstone 4, 1 Astronaut (Gus Grissom) NASA Sub-orbital Manned sub-orbital flight 21 July 1961
12:35 GMT		 Successful Capsule sank during recovery.
Last Mercury-Redstone flight.
July 25 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 25 July 1961 Successful
July 31
21:32 GMT		 Atlas E LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful
August 3 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 3 August 1961 Successful
August 5
00:19 GMT		 Jupiter LC-26A, Cape Canaveral NATO (Italy) (none) N/A N/A Combat training N/A Successful
August 6
06:00 GMT		 R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1) LC-1, Baikonur RVSN Vostok 2, 1 Cosmonaut (Gherman Titov) RVSN LEO Manned orbital flight 7 August 1961 Successful Day long manned flight
August 9
04:31 GMT		 Atlas F LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful Maiden flight of Atlas F.
August 16
03:21 GMT		 Delta DM-19 LC-17, Cape Canaveral NASA Explorer 12 NASA Highly Elliptical Orbit Energetic particles research 6 December 1961 (last signal) Successful
August 23
01:16 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B3, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Successful
August 23
10:04 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Ranger 1 NASA Intended: Lunar orbit
Actual:LEO		 Probe to the Moon 30 August 1961 Failure Agena misfired - failed to leave Earth orbit.
August 25
19:26 GMT		 Scout-X1 Wallops Island NASA Explorer 13 NASA LEO Micrometeoroids research 28 August 1961 Partial Failure Reached lower orbit than expected
August 30
19:12 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 29 US Air Force LEO Space science 10 September 1961 Successful
September 6 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 6 September 1961 Successful
September 6
22:30 GMT		 Thor DM-18 LC-72-5-7, Vandenberg AFB RAF (none) N/A N/A Combat training N/A Successful
September 7 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 7 September 1961 Successful
September 9
01:42 GMT		 Atlas E LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM research and development N/A Failure Propulsion system malfunction
September 9
19:28 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B LC-1-1, Point Arguello US Air Force Samos 3 US Air Force Intended: LEO Surveillance Satellite Never left the ground Failure Exploded on pad
September 12
19:55 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 30 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite 14 September 1961 Successful Aerial capsule recovery
September 13
14:04 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Atlas 4 NASA LEO Test Mercury spacecraft and LV 13 September 1961 Successful
September 17
21:07 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 31 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite N/A Partial Success Capsule recovery failed
September 23 Titan I LC-395-A1, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 23 September 1961 Successful
September 28 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 28 September 1961 Successful
October 2
18:23 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
October 5
13:42 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Boilerplate Nuclear warhead US Air Force Sub-orbital ICBM research and development 5 October 1961 Successful
October 6 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 6 October 1961 Successful
October 13
19:26 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 32 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite 14 October 1961 Successful Aerial capsule recovery
October 21
15:11 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B LC-1-2, Point Arguello US Air Force MIDAS 4 US Air Force MEO Missile Defense System Still in Orbit Successful
West Ford US Air Force MEO Radio reflective experiment Still in Orbit Failure Release of millions of copper dipols failed
October 24 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 24 October 1961 Successful
October 27
18:23 GMT		 Saturn I LC-34, Cape Canaveral NASA (none) N/A N/A Test Launch vehicle N/A Successful Maiden Flight of Saturn I
November 1
15:32 GMT		 Vought Blue Scout 2 LC-18, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Scout 1 NASA Intended: LEO Test Project Mercury Tracking stations 1 November 1961 Failure 1st Stage Engine Failure
November 5
19:55 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 34 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite Still in Orbit Successful Silent as of 1966
November 10
14:55 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force 1 Squirrel monkey US Air Force Sub-orbital ICBM research and development 10 November 1961 Failure Engine failure
November 15
21:21 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 35 US Air Force LEO Spy satellite 17 November 1961 Successful Aerial capsule recovery
November 15
22:19 GMT		 Thor Able-Star LC-17, Cape Canaveral US Navy TRAAC US Navy LEO Test of vehicle orientation in space N/A Successful
Transit 4B US Navy LEO Satellite navigation system N/A Successful
November 18
08:55 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B LC-12, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Ranger 2 NASA Intended: Lunar Orbit
Actual: LEO		 Lunar probe 20 November 1961 Failure Agena B failed to restart
November 21 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 21 November 1961 Successful
November 22
20:45 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B LC-1-1, Point Arguello US Air Force Samos 4 US Air Force Intended: LEO Surveillance Satellite 22 November 1961 Failure
November 22
21:04 GMT		 Atlas F LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and Development N/A Successful
November 29 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test Re-entry vehicle 29 November 1961 Successful
November 29
15:07 GMT		 Atlas D LC-14, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mercury-Atlas 5, 1 Chimpanzee NASA LEO Test Mercury spacecraft 29 November 1961 Successful First chimpanzee in orbit
November 29
23:01 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B2, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Operational test N/A Successful
December 1
20:40 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and development N/A Successful
December 6
01:30 GMT		 Thor DM-18 LE-8, Vandenberg AFB RAF (none) N/A N/A Combat Training N/A Successful
December 6
22:37 GMT		 Jupiter LC-26, Cape Canaveral NATO (Italy) (none) N/A N/A Combat Training N/A Successful
December 7
22:37 GMT		 Atlas D LC-576-B3, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force (none) N/A N/A Operational ICBM test N/A Successful
December 11
09:39 GMT		 R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1) LC-31, Baikonur RVSN Zenit-2 RVSN Intended: LEO Surveillance Satellite 11 December 1961 Failure Premature third stage cutout - failed to reach orbit
December 12
20:16 GMT		 Atlas F LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and development N/A Failure Guidance Failure
December 12
20:38 GMT		 Thor Agena-B Vandenberg AFB US Air Force Discoverer 36 US Air Force LEO Missile Defense System 16 December 1961 Successful
OSCAR 1 US Air Force LEO Amatur radio satellite 3 January 1962 Successful
December 13 Titan I LC-20, Cape Canaveral US Air Force US Air Force Sub-orbital TV test mission 13 December 1961 Successful
December 15 Titan I LC-19, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Mk 4 re-entry vehicle US Air Force Sub-orbital Test re-entry vehicle 15 December 1961 Successful
December 20
03:32 GMT		 Atlas E LC-13, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and development N/A Successful
December 21
03:35 GMT		 Atlas F LC-11, Cape Canaveral US Air Force (none) N/A N/A ICBM Research and development N/A Failure Hydraulic Malfunction
December 22
19:12 GMT		 Atlas LV-3A/Agena B LC-1-2, Point Arguello US Air Force Samos 5 US Air Force LEO Surveillance Satellite 9 January 1962 Partial success Capsule recovery failed

[edit] Deep Space Rendez-vous in 1961


[edit] References

Generic references:
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Preceded by
1960		 Timeline of spaceflight
1961		 Succeeded by
1962