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Redstone MRLV | Mercury-Redstone 2

Chrysler | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Jan. 31, 1961, 4:55 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Mercury-Redstone 2 (MR-2) was the test flight of the Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle just prior to the first crewed American space mission in Project Mercury. Carrying a chimpanzee named Ham on a suborbital flight, Mercury spacecraft Number 5 was launched at 16:55 UTC on January 31, 1961 from LC-5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The capsule and Ham landed safely in the Atlantic Ocean 16 minutes and 39 seconds after launch.

Suborbital
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Vostok | Korabl-Sputnik (4)

Soviet Space Program | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Dec. 22, 1960, 7:45 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Maiden flight of Vostok-K, second stage engine failure, spacecraft separated and recovered. Two dogs aboard, both survived.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Agena-B | Discoverer 19

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 20, 1960, 8:32 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Discoverer 19 was an American optical reconnaissance satellite. It was part of the Missile Defence Alarm System.

Low Earth Orbit
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Redstone MRLV | Mercury-Redstone 1A

Chrysler | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Dec. 19, 1960, 4:15 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Mercury-Redstone 1A (MR-1A) was launched on December 19, 1960 from LC-5 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission objectives of this uncrewed suborbital flight were to qualify the spacecraft for space flight and qualify the system for an upcoming primate suborbital flight.

Suborbital
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Atlas-Able | P-31

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Dec. 15, 1960, 9:10 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

An intended lunar orbiter the vehicle was destroyed when the launch vehicle exploded due to a malfunction in the first stage.

Lunar Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Agena-B | Discoverer 18

United States Air Force | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Dec. 7, 1960, 8:20 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Discoverer 18 was an American optical reconnaissance satellite. This was the first successful mission employing the KH-2 camera system

Low Earth Orbit
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Scout X-1 | NASA S-56

National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of America
Wallops Island, Virginia, USA
Dec. 4, 1960, 9:14 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

An American satellite launched by NASA as part of the Explorers program. It failed to reach orbit when the second stage didn't ignite.

Low Earth Orbit
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Vostok 8K72 | Korabl'-Sputnik-3

RKK Energiya | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Dec. 1, 1960, 7:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Another test of the Vostok capsule which had a successful flight into orbit but during re-entry the engine failed to cut off and burned to completion resulting in an incorrect entry trajectory. The vehicle was destroyed in order to ensure the vehicle didn't fall into enemy hands.

Low Earth Orbit
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Thor DM-21 Ablestar | Transit 3A

United States Air Force | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Nov. 30, 1960, 7:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Transit 3A was a US Navy navigation satellite that was destroyed by range safety when the launch vehicle shut down too early.

Polar Orbit
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Thor Delta | Tiros 2

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
Nov. 23, 1960, 11:13 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

A spin stabilized meteorological satellite. The second in a series of Television Infrared Observation Satellites.

Low Earth Orbit
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