An early scorecard

It is obvious from the litany of failed space launches already mentioned that the initial foothold in space was somewhat tenuous. During the first year of the Space Age (4 October 1957 to 4 October 1958), a total of 24 attempts were made by the United States and the USSR to launch into Earth orbit and beyond, of which only seven were successful. Extending the period to encompass the first two years, a grand total of 54 space attempts were made, of which 20 were at least reasonably successful. During those two years, 34 failed attempts ended up as piles of flaming debris on the launch pads, down range, or in premature watery graves.

To provide a broad perspective of those first two years, all the launch attempts during that period are listed in Table 14.1. In spite of the huge disappointments in the failures, all the attempts helped in one way or another to develop the technology and infrastructure that led to the incredibly exciting and productive space program that followed.

Perigee

(miles) Comments

134 First satellite

132 Carried dog Laika

Lost thrust at two seconds 221 First U. S. satellite

Control system malfunction No fourth-stage ignition 406 First Vanguard success

116 First full-orbit data coverage

Failed to reach Earth orbit No third-stage ignition

135 USSR Primary IGY satellite Improper third-stage trajectory

Moon attempt; failed to reach Earth orbit Premature second-stage cutoff 163 Participated in Argus project

Argus; no verifiable orbit Moon attempt; first-stage malfunction Argus; no verifiable orbit Upper stages aimed incorrectly Argus; no verifiable orbit Argus; no verifiable orbit Argus; no verifiable orbit Moon attempt; failed to reach Earth orbit Insufficient second-stage thrust

Moon attempt; distance record but failed to reach Moon Moon attempt; failed to reach Earth orbit Upper stages separated prior to burnout

Pioneer 2 NASA 8 Nov. 1958 86.2 – – No third-stage ignition Luna1958C USSR 4 Dec. 1958 ? – – Moon attempt; failed to reach Earth orbit Pioneer 3 NASA 6 Dec. 1958 13.0 63,590 – Moon attempt; failed to reach Moon SCORE ARPA 18 Dec. 1958 8737 922 114 Sent Christmas message Luna 1 USSR 2 Jan. 1959 796 ~122 million ~90 million Passed within 3727 miles of Moon Vanguard II NASA 17 Feb. 1959 21.6 1952 347 Satellite wobble degraded data Discoverer 1 U. S. ARPA 28 Feb. 1959 1363 601 101 First polar satellite; no reentry capsule Pioneer 4 U. S. NASA 3 Mar. 1959 13.0 ~106 million ~92 million Passed within 37,301 miles of Moon Discoverer 2 ARPA 13 Apr. 1959 1638 215 149 Capsule ejected but lost in Arctic Vanguard SLV5 NASA 13 Apr. 1959 22.7 – – Second stage damaged on separation Discoverer 3 ARPA 3 Jun.1959 1660 – – Failed to reach Earth orbit Luna USSR 18 Jun. 1959 ? – – Moon attempt; failed to orbit Earth Vanguard SLV6 NASA 22 Jun. 1959 22.7 – – Second-stage propulsion malfunction Discoverer 4 ARPA 25 Jun.1959 1660 – – Insufficient second-stage velocity Explorer S-1 NASA 16 Jun. 1959 91.3 – – Off course; destroyed by range safety officer Vostok USSR 18 Jul. 1959 ? Early unmanned test of satellite for manned flight; failed to reach Earth orbit Explorer 6 NASA 7 Aug. 1959 141 26,350 152 Highly eccentric orbit Discoverer 5 ARPA 13 Aug. 1959 1722 174 88.9 Capsule orbited Beacon 2 NASA 14 Aug. 1959 9.9 – – First-and upper-stage malfunction Discoverer 6 ARPA 19 Aug. 1959 1726 527 132 Capsule ejected; recovery failed Luna 2 USSR 12 Sep. 1959 853 – – Flight time 34.0 hours; impacted Moon Transit 1A ARPA 17 Sep. 1959 262 – – Third-stage malfunction Vanguard III NASA 18 Sep. 1959 50.7 2190 319 Final Vanguard launch Atlas-Able 4A (Pioneer) NASA 24 Sep. 1959 ? – – Failed Luna 3 USSR 4 Oct. 1959 614 296,100 25,040 Photos of Moon’s far side