1951 in spaceflight

none August 2021 August 2021 1951 Viking 7 before its 7 August 1951 launch.jpg Viking 7 before its 7 August 1951 launch USA 1912 Aerobee RTV-A-1aUSA 1912 Aerobee RTV-A-1bUSSR 1936 R-1BUSSR 1936 R-1V USA 1912 Viking (first model)USA 1912 Aerobee RTV-A-1bUSSR 1936 R-1BUSSR 1936 R-1V Timeline of spaceflight Before 1951 1952 The year 1951 saw extensive exploration of space by the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) using suborbital rockets. The Soviets launched their first series of biomedical tests to the 100 km on boundary of space (as defined by the World Air Sports Federation).Outer space may have just gotten a bit closer Paul Voosen 24 July 2018 1 April 2019 https://www.science.org/content/article/outer-space-may-have-just-gotten-bit-closer Science 10.1126/science.aau8822 126154837 21 September 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210921004024/https://www.science.org/content/article/outer-space-may-have-just-gotten-bit-closer live subscription Several American agencies launched more than a dozen scientific sounding rocket flights between them. The US Navy launched its Viking sounding rocket for the seventh time since 1949, this time to a record-breaking 136 mi in August 1951. Development also continued by both superpowers on rockets more powerful than the World War Two era German V-2 that had inaugurated the age of spaceflight. The USSR advanced far beyond their R-1 (a V-2 copy) with the deployment of the R-2 rocket, which could carry a ton of explosives twice as far as its predecessor. Though the ambitious R-3 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile was canceled in 1951, the more achievable R-5 missile project was initiated. Both the US Air Force and the US Army initiated their first post-V-2 ballistic missile projects, Atlas for the former and Redstone for the latter. 2 Space exploration thumb|upright=.4|left|Soviet R-1 missile United States The US Army, US Air Force, and the Applied Physics Laboratory continued their use of Aerobee on a variety of physics, aeronomy, photography, weather, and biomedical sounding rocket flights; a total of 11 were launched during the year.http://www.astronautix.com/1/1951chronology.html https://web.archive.org/web/20161228142314/http://astronautix.com/1/1951chronology.html dead 28 December 2016 1951 Chronology Mark Wade Encyclopedia Astronautica 16 December 2020 Two of these comprised the earliest space biomedical missions. Launched by the Air Force, and carrying mice and monkeys, they (along with a third flight in 1952) determined that brief (approx. 15 minutes) exposure to acceleration, reduced gravity, and high altitude cosmic radiation did not have significant negative effects.Wayne O. Mattson Martyn D. Tagg https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA309953.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20210209041703/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA309953.pdf live 9 February 2021 We Develop Missiles not Air! Legacy Resource Management Program, Air Combat Command USAF Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico June 1995 45–52 The first generation of US Navy-built Viking sounding rockets reached its acme of performance with the flight of Viking 7, the sole Viking launch of 1951. Launched 7 August from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the rocket set a new world altitude record of 136 mi.Milton W. Rosen The Viking Rocket Story Harper & Brothers New York 1955 317524549 167–171, 236 Soviet Union The R-1, the Soviet Union's first domestically built long-range ballistic missile, was accepted into service in November 1950. In January 1951, cold-weather testing of the R-1 for quality assurance purposes was conducted.Boris Chertok Rockets and People, Volume II: Creating a Rocket Industry NASA Washington D.C. June 2006 946818748149,152 On 1 June, production of the R-1 was centralized and transferred to a former automobile factory in Dnepropetrovsk, and that month,http://www.astronautix.com/r/r-1.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160820192642/http://www.astronautix.com/r/r-1.html dead 20 August 2016 R-1 Mark Wade Encyclopedia Astronautica 6 December 2020 a test series of R-1s was successfully launched to the edge of space, all landing within 5.5 km of their targets. Though the R-1, a virtual copy of the now-obsolete V-2,119 was not a particularly formidable weapon and posed virtually no threat to the West, it was invaluable in training engineers and missile crews, as well as creating a nascent rocket industry in the Soviet Union.152–3 On 29 January 1951, dogs were carried on one of the winter test flights of the R-1. This was followed in the summer by six R-1s specifically designed and equipped for biomedical flights to determine if their payload dogs could survive the rigors of space travel and be recovered. Three of the missions were successful.https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/09/aerobee-19-65-years-animal-flight-project-mercury/ Aerobee-19: 65 years after animal flight that paved the way for Project Mercury NASASpaceflight.com Chris Gebhardt 20 September 2016 16 December 2020 8 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092644/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/09/aerobee-19-65-years-animal-flight-project-mercury/ live On July 22, 1951, Dezik and Tsygan became the first Soviet space dogs to be launched into sub-orbital spaceflight.2014-11-03 Dogs In Space https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/dogs-in-space/ 2024-08-30 Science Museum Blog en-GB The R-2 missile, the first operational Soviet design to have a separable nose cone, underwent a second test series of thirteen flights in July 1951, experiencing one failure. Accepted for operational service on 27 November 1951,http://www.astronautix.com/r/r-2.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160820191943/http://www.astronautix.com/r/r-2.html dead 20 August 2016 R-2 Mark Wade Encyclopedia Astronautica 7 December 2020 the design had a range of 600 km, twice that of the R-1, while maintaining a similar payload of around 1000 kg.48–9 Spacecraft development US Air Force By 1950, the war-head carrying ballistic missile, which in the United States had been eclipsed since World War II by guided missile development, received national priority. In January 1951, the US Air Force's Air Research and Development Command awarded to Consolidated Vultee the contract for Atlas, the nation's first Intercontinental ballistic missile.Atlas The Story of a Missile John L. Chapman Harper & Brothers New York 1960 49259121859–61 The Atlas went on to become one of the key boosters in America's crewed and robotic space programs, America's Space Vehicles A pictorial review Will Eisner Oak Tree Press, Ltd. London 1962 91657549632–39 first orbiting a payload (SCORE) in 1958.153,161–2 US Army On 15 April 1950, Wernher von Braun and his team of German rocket engineers were transferred from Fort Bliss to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. In 1951, the Redstone team was tasked with researching and developing guided missiles and developing and testing free rockets, solid propellants, Jet-Assisted Take-off rockets, and related items, thus making the Army a leading player in America's missile development.https://history.redstone.army.mil/ihist-1950.html Installation History 1950 - 1952 US Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command 2017 16 October 2021 27 September 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210927225525/https://history.redstone.army.mil/ihist-1950.html live Their work led to the production of the Redstone missile, first launched in 1953,https://history.redstone.army.mil/ihist-1953.html Installation History 1953 - 1955 US Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command 2017 16 October 2021 28 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211228233348/https://history.redstone.army.mil/ihist-1953.html live versions of which ultimately launched Explorer 1, America's first artificial satellite, in 1958, and Mercury-Redstone 3, America's first human space mission, in 1961.https://history.redstone.army.mil/miss-redstone.html Redstone Missile US Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command 2017 16 October 2021 16 October 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211016102246/https://history.redstone.army.mil/miss-redstone.html live US Navy In the summer of 1950, the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) team led by Milton Rosen began work on an improved Viking rocket able to reach higher altitudes. The team would achieve increased performance through larger fuel tanks and reduced weight elsewhere on the rocket. Originally planned for launch in 1951, the development of the second generation Viking took two years, and the first of the new rockets would not launch until 6 June 1952.172–3, 236 University of Iowa In January 1951, Dr. James Van Allen, instrumental in the development of the Aerobee rocket, joined the physics department at the State University of Iowa (SUI). Along with University of Chicago graduate Melvin B. Gottlieb and Van Allen's first SUI graduate student, Leslie H. Meredith, they began a high altitude cosmic ray research program using equipment mounted on balloons. Launched from 16 June 1951, through 26 January 1952,Opening Space Research George Ludwig geopress Washington D.C. 2011 8452562567–10 this experience set the foundation for balloon-launched sounding rockets, which would first breach the boundary of space in 1954.38 Soviet Union From 1947, G-1 (or R-10) missile, designed by German specialists brought to the USSR in 1945 to work on missile projects, competed with the Soviet-designed R-2 for limited engineering and production staff, the latter winning out by the end of 1949. With the project stalled for a lack of resources and government interest, the Soviets terminated all work by the German specialists in October 1950. In December 1951, the first of these Germans were repatriated to East Germany (a process that the Soviets completed in November 1953).69–70 The draft plan for the ambitious 3000 km on range R-3 had been approved on 7 December 1949,67 but was canceled on 20 October 1951, other designs proving more useful and achievable.275–6 One of them was the R-5 missile, able to carry the same payload as the R-1 and R-2 but over a distance of 1200 km242 (the other being the R-11, a tactical missile half the size of the R-1 but with the same payload).http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/r11.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20020309175348/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/r11.htm dead 9 March 2002 R-11 17 February 2008 Mark Wade Encyclopedia Astronautica The R-5's conceptual design was completed by 30 October 1951.https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt1.pdf Challenge to Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945-1974 Asif A. Siddiqi NASA Washington D.C. 1001823253 18 December 2020 16 September 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080916023444/https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt1.pdf live97 Launches 1951 off January yes 15em January launches 18 January 20:14 Nazi Germany NaziV-2 V-2 No. 54 USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912GE / US Army Project Hermes launch, Apogee: 1.61 km, very low thrustL. D. White Final Report, Project Hermes V-2 Missile Program https://archive.org/details/finalreportproje00whit Schnectady, New York Guided Missile Department, Aeronautic and Ordnance Systems Division, Defense Products Group, General Electric Table I September 1952 Charles P. Smith Jr. April 1958 Naval Research Laboratory Report No. 4276: Upper Atmosphere Research Report No. XXI, Summary of Upper Atmosphere Rocket Research Firings https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADB957191 pdf Washington D.C. Naval Research Laboratory 9 November 2022 4 November 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221104034039/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADB957191 live 446–447 NRL Cosmic Radiation / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray Suborbital 18 January Launch failure 22 January 22:55 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 A19 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 89 km287–288 APL Aeronomy Suborbital 22 January Successful 25 January 15:00 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 A20 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 90 km289–290 APL Ozone Aeronomy Suborbital 25 January Successful 29 January USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Carried dogs OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 29 January Successful 30 January USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 30 January Successful 31 January USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 31 January Successful |} February yes 15em February launches 1 February USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 February Successful 2 February USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 2 February Successful 6 February 17:20 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 A21 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 98 km291–292 APL Photography Suborbital 6 February Successful |} March yes 15em March launches 9 March 03:16 Nazi Germany NaziV-2 V-2 No. 57 USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912GE / US Army Project Hermes launch, apogee: 3.1 km, explosions starting at 15.5 seconds destroyed the tail section452–453 USA 1912Blossom IVE Air Materiel Command Suborbital Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy / Ionospheric / Airglow 9 March Launch failure 28 March 23:14 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 10 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 66 km64–65 AFCRL Aeronomy Suborbital 28 March Successful |} April yes 15em April launches 12 April 17:26 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 11 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 29 km, premature engine cutoff at 30.6 seconds66–67 AFCRL / University of Colorado Solar UV Suborbital 12 April Partial failure 18 April 18:39 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 12 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force First biomedical Aerobee mission, carried monkey;http://www.astronautix.com/a/aerobee.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160820134110/http://www.astronautix.com/a/aerobee.html dead 20 August 2016 Aerobee Mark Wade Encyclopedia Astronautica 8 December 2020 apogee: 61 km68–69 USA 1912Aeromed 1 AFCRL / WADC Aero-Medical Laboratory Biological Suborbital 18 April Successful |} May yes 15em May launches 29 May 19:46 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 13 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 3.7 km70–71 AFCRL / Boston University Suborbital Ionospheric 29 May Launch failure |} June yes 15em June launches 8 June 00:11 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 14 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 89 km72–73 AFCRL Suborbital Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy 8 June Successful 8 June 01:18 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-1 SC 19 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 6.4 km, full burn but very low thrust224–225 USASC / University of Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 8 June Launch failure 9 June 06:11 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-1 SC 18 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 66.8 km221–223 USA 1912Grenades USASC Suborbital Aeronomy 9 June Successful 13 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 13 June Successful 14 June 13:48 Nazi Germany NaziV-2 V-2 No. 55 USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912GE / US Army Project Hermes launch, apogee: 0 km, rocket exploded at ignition449 NRL Suborbital Cosmic Radiation / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray 14 June Launch failure 14 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 14 June Successful 18 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 18 June Successful 19 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 19 June Successful 20 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 20 June Successful 22 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 22 June Successful 23 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 23 June Successful 24 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 24 June Successful 25 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 25 June Successful 26 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 26 June Successful 27 June USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 27 June Successful 28 June 21:43 Nazi Germany NaziV-2 V-2 No. 52 USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912GE / US Army Final project Hermes launch, apogee: 5.8 km, explosion in tail section at 8 seconds, cutoff triggered at 22 seconds441–443 USA 1912Blossom IVF Air Materiel Command Suborbital Solar UV / Solar X-Ray / Ionospheric / Photography / Aeronomy / Biological 28 June Launch failure |} July yes 15em July launches 2 July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 First of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 2 July July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Second of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Third of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Fourth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Fifth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Sixth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Seventh of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Eighth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Ninth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Tenth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Eleventh of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Twelfth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test Same day 22 July USSR 1936R-1V USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Maiden flight of the R-1V; first ever space dog mission carried dogs Dezik and Zhegan which were recovered.Russian Space Probes: Scientific Discoveries and Future Missions Brian Harvey Olga Zakutnyaya 2011 Springer Praxis Books Chichester, UK 131607784221 OKB-1 Suborbital Biological 22 July Successful 25 July 16:26 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 15 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 71.3 km74–75 AFCRC Suborbital Sky Brightness 25 July Successful 27 July USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Last of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.97 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 27 July 29 July USSR 1936R-1B USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Maiden flight of the R-1B; electrical failure, no payload recovery; carried dogs did not survive OKB-1 Suborbital Biological 29 July Launch failure |} August yes 15em August launches 7 August 16:36 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 16 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 83.5 km76–77 AFCRC / Boston University Ionospheric Suborbital 7 August Successful 7 August 18:00 USA 1912Viking (first model) USA 1912White Sands LC-33 – Army Launch Area 1 USA 1912US Navy Final flight of the first model Viking, apogee: 219 km492–493 USA 1912Viking 7 NRL Suborbital Cosmic Radiation / Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy 7 August Successful 15 August USSR 1936R-1B USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Carried dogs, recovered OKB-1 Suborbital Solar UV / Biological 15 August Successful 19 August USSR 1936R-1V USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Final flight of the R-1V; carried dogs, recovered OKB-1 Suborbital Biological 19 August Successful 22 August 19:00 Nazi Germany NaziV-2 TF-1 USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912US Army First all Army team after General Electric's contract concluded; apogee: 213.4 km463 US Army Suborbital Altitude test 22 August Successful 28 August USSR 1936R-1B USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Biological 28 August Successful 30 August 22:40 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1b USAF 17 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Maiden (and only) flight of the RTV-A-1b, apogee: 76 km78–79 AFCRC Rocket test Suborbital 30 August Successful |} September yes 15em September launches 3 September USSR 1936R-1B USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Final flight of the R-1B; carried dogs, recovered OKB-1 Suborbital Biological 3 September Successful 13 September 11:37 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 18 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 76 km80–81 AFCRC / University of Michigan Aeronomy Suborbital 13 September Successful 20 September 16:31 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1 USAF 19 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Carried monkey, Yorick/Albert VI, and 11 mice, all recovered; apogee: 71 km82–83 USA 1912Aeromed 2 AFCRC / WADC Aero-Medical Laboratory Biological Suborbital 20 September Successful 27 September 00:06 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-1 SC 21 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 68.9 km229–230 USASC / University of Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 27 September Successful |} October yes 15em October launches 17 October 18:17 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 20 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 114.3 km, maiden flight of the RTV-A-1a84 AFCRC / Boston University Suborbital Ionospheric 17 October Successful 29 October 21:04 Nazi Germany NaziV-2 V-2 No. 60 USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 141.0 km458–459 USASC / University of Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 29 October Successful |} November yes 15em November launches 1 November 09:46 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-1 SC 20 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 66.3 km226–227 USA 1912Grenades USASC Suborbital Aeronomy 1 November Successful 3 November 00:35 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-1 SC 22 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 82 km231–232 USA 1912Grenades USASC Suborbital Aeronomy 3 November Successful |} 1951 off Suborbital launch statistics By country 120 false left [ {"value":350, "color":"#484785", "label": "United States: 35 (57.38%)"}, {"value":260, "color":"#a52a2a", "label": "Soviet Union: 26 (42.52%) "}, ] + Launches by country Country Launches Successes Failures Partialfailures USSR 1936 26 19 6 1 USA 1912 35 33 1 1 World 26 35 19 33 6 1 1 1 By rocket bar chart center 850 400 1 6:0:0:0:0 0:1:0:0:0 0:0:3:0:0 0:0:5:0:0 0:0:9:0:0 0:0:1:0:0 0:0:1:0:0 0:0:0:16:0 0:0:0:2:0 0:0:0:4:0 0:0:0:0:13 #9090c0 blue #363663 #646e2b #25a7da : #7ccae9 : #1e85ae #7a1f1f : #cb3434 : #e08585 #ff7700 V-2 (American) Viking (first model) Aerobee RTV-N-10 Aerobee XASR-SC-1 Aerobee RTV-A-1 Aerobee RTV-A-1b Aerobee RTV-A-1a R-1 R-1V R-1B R-2 V-2 : Viking : Aerobee : R-1 : R-2 _launches 5 + Launches by rocket Rocket Country Launches Successes Failures Partialfailures Remarks V-2 USA 1912 6 2 4 0 Viking (first model) USA 1912 1 1 0 0 Retired Aerobee RTV-N-10 USA 1912 3 3 0 0 Aerobee XASR-SC-1 USA 1912 5 4 1 0 Aerobee RTV-A-1 USA 1912 9 7 1 1 Aerobee RTV-A-1b USA 1912 1 1 0 0 Maiden flight, retired Aerobee RTV-A-1a USA 1912 1 1 0 0 Maiden flight R-1 USSR 1936 16 16 0 0 R-1V USSR 1936 2 2 0 0 Maiden flight, retired R-1B USSR 1936 4 3 1 0 Maiden flight, retired R-2 USSR 1936 13 12 0 1 See also Timeline of spaceflight References 30em 1951 on Category:1951 in science Category:1950s in transport