BALLISTIC, SUBORBITAL, OR ORBITAL

The first development in rocketry which enabled space flight capability to be considered were missiles categorized as “ballistic” in that, according to the dictionary, it is “a missile which is initially powered and guided but which falls under gravity on its target.” In other words it does not have enough velocity to overcome the pull of gravity to attain orbital flight in space.

The first such vehicles were the German V-2 missiles used during WWII. One of these on October 3, 1942 attained an altitude of 60 miles (97 km). During the 1950s both the United States and Soviet Union used adapted V-2 missiles upon which to base their development for longer range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) deployed during the Cold War. From those developments emerged the first launch vehicles to place payloads into space and eventually orbit. The Soviet – developed R-7 ICBM became the workhorse of the Russian space program, and has remained the mainstay of that country’s launch operations for over 55 years.

It is currently (2012) used in the launch of Soyuz manned and Progress resupply craft to the ISS.