1953 in spaceflight

none August 2021 December 2021 1953 Deacon Rockoon.jpg Launch of a Deacon Rockoon; several such launches occurred in 1953 USSR 1936 R-5 Pobeda USA 1912 Aerobee XASR-SC-2 Timeline of spaceflight 1952 1954 The year 1953 saw the rockoon join the stable of sounding rockets capable of reaching beyond the 100 km 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 11 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201111231817/https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/outer-space-may-have-just-gotten-bit-closer live subscription Employed by both the University of Iowa and the Naval Research Laboratory, 22 total were launched from the decks of the Staten Island AGB-5 6 and the Eastwind WAGB-279 6 this year. All branches of the United States military continued their program of Aerobee sounding rocket launches, a total of 23 were launched throughout 1953. The Soviet Union launched no sounding rockets in 1953; however, the Soviet Union did conduct several series of missile test launches. Both the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics continued their development of ballistic missiles: the United States Air Force with its Atlas ICBM, the United States Army with its Redstone SRBM, the Soviet OKB-1 with its R-5 IRBM, and Soviet Factory 586 with its R-12 IRBM. None entered active service during 1953. The first meeting of the Comité Speciale de l'Année Géophysique Internationale (CSAGI), a special committee of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), began preliminary coordination of the International Geophysical Year (IGY), scheduled for 1957–58. 2 Space exploration highlights US Navy On 25 May 1953, Viking 10, originally planned to be the last of the Naval Research Laboratory-built Viking rockets, arrived at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A successful static firing on 18 June cleared the way for a 30 June launch date, a schedule that had been made months prior, before the rocket had even left the Glenn L. Martin Company plant where it had been built. At the moment of liftoff, the tail of Viking 10 exploded, setting the rocket afire. Water was immediately flooded into the rocket's base in an attempt to extinguish the fire, but flames continued to burn in the East Quadrant of the firing platform. Half an hour after launch, two of the launch team under manager Milton Rosen were dispatched to put out the fire to salvage what remained of the rocket. Though successful, these efforts were then threatened by a slow leak in the propellant tank. The vacuum created by the departing fuel was causing the tank to dimple with the danger of implosion that would cause the rocket to collapse. Lieutenant Joseph Pitts, a member of the launch team, shot a rifle round into the tank, equalizing the pressure and saving the rocket. Three hours after the attempted launch, the last of the alcohol propellant had been drained from Viking 10. The launch team was able to salvage the instrument package of cameras, including X-ray detectors, cosmic ray emulsions, and a radio-frequency mass-spectrometer, valued at tens of thousands of dollars, although there was concern that the rocket was irreparable. A thorough investigation of the explosion began in July, but a conclusive cause could not be determined. In a reported presented in September, Milton Rosen noted that a similar occurrence had not happened in more than 100 prior tests of the Viking motor. It was decided to rebuild Viking 10, and a program for closer monitoring of potential fail points was implemented for the next launch, scheduled for 1954.Milton W. Rosen The Viking Rocket Story Harper & Brothers New York 1955 204–221 317524549 American civilian efforts After the successful field tests of balloon-launched rockets (rockoons) the previous year, a University of Iowa physics team embarked on a second rockoon expedition aboard the Staten Island AGB-5 6 in summer 1953 with improved equipment. The new Skyhook balloons increased the rocket firing altitude from 40000 ft to 50000 ft affording a peak rocket altitude of 57 mi. The total payload weights were increased by 2 lb to 30 lb. Between 18 July and 4 September, the Iowa team launched 16 rockoons from a variety of latitudes, 7 of which reached useful altitudes and returned usable data. An NRL team aboard the same vessel launched six rockoons, of which half were complete successes. Data from these launches provided the first evidence of radiation associated with aurora borealis.Opening Space Research George Ludwig geopress Washington D.C. 2011 845256256 18–32 Spacecraft development US Air Force Development of the Atlas, the nation's first ICBM proceeded slowly throughout 1953. Without firm figures as to the weight and dimension of a thermonuclear device (the US tested its first H-bomb in November 1952, the USSR announced their first successful test in August 1953), it was not known if the Atlas could deliver an atomic bomb payload. In spring 1953, Colonel Bernard Schriever, an assistant in development planning at The Pentagon and a proponent of long-ranged ballistic missiles, pushed to obtain accurate characteristics of a nuclear payload. Trevor Gardner, special assistant for research and development to the new Secretary of the Air Force, Harold Talbott, responded by organizing the Strategic Missiles Evaluation Committee or "Teapot Committee" comprising eleven of the top scientists and engineers in the country. Their goal would be to determine if a nuclear payload could be made small enough to fit on the Atlas rocket. If so, the importance of the committee's members would allow such findings to accelerate Atlas development. By October, committee member John von Neumann had completed his report on weights and figures indicating that smaller, more powerful warheads within Atlas' launch capability would soon be available. Pending test verification of von Neumann's theoretical results, the Air Force began revising the Atlas design for the projected nuclear payload.Atlas The Story of a Missile John L. Chapman Harper & Brothers New York 1960 71–73 492591218 US Army The first production Redstone, a surface-to-surface missile capable of delivering nuclear or conventional warheads to a range of 200 miles, was delivered on 27 July 1953. A Redstone R&D missile was flight tested on 20 August 1953.https://history.redstone.army.mil/ihist-1953.html Installation History 1953 – 1955 U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Management Command 2017 1 February 2021 2 February 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230202195242/https://history.redstone.army.mil/ihist-1953.html live Soviet Union The R-5 missile, able to carry the same 1000 kg payload as the R-1 and R-2 but over a distance of 1200 kmBoris Chertok Rockets and People, Volume II: Creating a Rocket Industry NASA Washington D.C. June 2006 946818748242 underwent its first series of eight test launches from 15 March to 23 May 1953. After two failures, the third rocket, launched 2 April, marked the beginning of streak of success. Seven more missiles were launched between 30 October and December, all of which reached their targets. A final series of launches, designed to test modifications made in response to issues with the first series, was scheduled for mid-1954.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 2 February 2021 16 September 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20080916023444/https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4408pt1.pdf live100–101 In his brief tenure as Director of NII-88, responsible for the production of all Soviet ballistic missiles, engineer Mikhail Yangel chafed professionally with OKB-1 (formerly NII-88 Section 3) Chief Designer, Sergei Korolev, whom he had previously reported to as Deputy Chief Designer of the bureau. To relieve this tension, on 4 October 1953, Yangel was demoted to NII-88 Chief Engineer and assigned responsibility for production of missiles at State Union Plant No. 586 in Dnepropetrovsk. This plant under, Vasiliy Budnik, had been tasked on 13 February 1953 with developing the R-12 missile, possessing a performance similar to that of the R-5 (range of 2000 km vs. 1200 km) but using storable propellants so that it could be stored at firing readiness for extended periods of time.113–114 At the end of 1953, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, it was determined that a transportable thermonuclear device be developed (as opposed to the one detonated in August, which was stationary). It was further determined that an ICBM be developed to carry said bomb. As no ICBMs existed at the time, in reality or even in planning, development of a nuclear capable R-5 (dubbed the "R-5M") was ordered.275 The International Geophysical Year July 1953 saw the first meeting of the Comité Speciale de l'Année Géophysique Internationale (CSAGI), a special committee of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) tasked with coordinating the International Geophysical Year (IGY), set for 1957–58. This international effort would undertake simultaneous observations of geophysical phenomena over the entire surface of the Earth including such farflung regions as the Arctic and Antarctica. At its first meeting, CSAGI invited the world's nations to participate in the IGY. Response from most prominent nations was quick. The National Research Council of the US National Academy of Sciences set up a US National Committee for the IGY, with Joseph Kaplan serving as chairman and Hugh Odishaw as executive director. The only key nation slow in committing to the IGY was Soviet Union, which did not signal its involvement until spring 1955.69–70 Launches 1953 off February yes 15em February launches 10 February 21:09 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 NRL 12 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 137.0 kmCharles 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 23 November 2022 2 February 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230202195019/https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/ADB957191 live 305 NRL Suborbital Aeronomy / Cosmic Radiation 10 February Successful 12 February 07:09 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 NRL 13 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 137.3 km305 NRL Suborbital Aeronomy / Cosmic Radiation 12 February Successful 18 February 06:50 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-2 SC 27 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 108.6 km240–241 USA 1912Grenades SCEL Suborbital Aeronomy 18 February Successful 18 February 17:42 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 34 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 117 km111–112 AFCRC Suborbital Rocket performance test 18 February Successful |} March yes 15em March launches 1 March USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 March Successfulhttp://www.astronautix.com/r/r-18a11.html https://web.archive.org/web/20161228003429/http://astronautix.com/r/r-18a11.html dead 28 December 2016 R-1 8A11 Wade Mark 10 October 2021 5 March USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 5 March Successful 15 March USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Maiden flight of R-5http://sdfo.org/stl/R-5%20Launches%201953-1959.docx R-5 Launches 1953-1959 Asif Siddiqi 26 February 2021 2021 2 February 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230202195251/https://sdfo.org/stl/R-5%20Launches%201953-1959.docx live OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 15 March Partial failure 18 March USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 18 March Partial failure 19 March USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 19 March Successful |} April yes 15em April launches 2 April USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 First successful R-5 launch OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 2 April Successful 8 April USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 8 April Partial failure 14 April 15:47 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 35 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 122 km113–114 AFCRC Suborbital Rocket performance test 14 April Successful 19 April USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 19 April Successful 23 April 19:33 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-2 SC 30 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 123.3 km246–247 USA 1912Sphere SCEL / University of Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 23 April Successful 24 April 10:19 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-2 SC 28 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 108 km242–243 USA 1912Grenades SCEL Suborbital Aeronomy 24 April Successful 24 April USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 24 April Partial failure |} May yes 15em May launches 11 May USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 11 May Successful 13 May USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 13 May Successful 20 May 14:04 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 36 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 114 km115–116 USA 1912Airglow 3 AFCRC Suborbital Sky Brightness 20 May Successful 21 May 15:57 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 37 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 114 km117–118 USA 1912Airglow 4 AFCRC Suborbital Sky Brightness 21 May Successful 23 May USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Contained 4 supplementary combat compartments; end of 1st set of experimental launches OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 23 May Successful |} June yes 15em June launches 26 June 19:10 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 38 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 135 km119–120 USA 1912Ionosphere 3 AFCRC / University of Utah Suborbital Ionospheric 26 June Successful 30 June USA 1912Viking (second model) USA 1912White Sands LC-33 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 0 km, tail exploded on launch pad; rocket rebuilt and launched successfully on 7 May 1954 USA 1912Viking 10 NRL Suborbital Aeronomy / Ionospheric 30 June Launch Failure |} July yes 15em July launches 1 July 17:52 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 39 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 138 km121–122 USA 1912Ionosphere 4 AFCRC / University of Utah Suborbital Ionospheric 1 July Successful 6 July USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 6 July Successful 14 July 15:30 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 40 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 103 km123–124 AFCRC / University of Rhode Island Suborbital Solar UV 14 July Successful 18 July 22:27 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 8 USA 1912Staten Island AGB-5 6, Atlantic Ocean, 50 km east of Boston USA 1912US Navy (Balloon) Apogee: 22.0 km, rocket failed to fire313 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 18 July Launch failure 19 July 10:30 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 9 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean, near Nova Scotia USA 1912US Navy (Balloon) Apogee: 22.2 km, rocket failed to fire313 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 19 July Launch failure 19 July 15:53 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 10 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean, near Nova Scotia USA 1912US Navy (Balloon) Apogee: 22.2 km, rocket failed to fire313 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 19 July Launch failure 19 July 21:57 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 11 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Atlantic Ocean, near Nova Scotia USA 1912US Navy (Balloon) Apogee: 23.2 km, rocket failed to fire314 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 19 July Launch failure 22 July 09:47 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 41 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 95.6 km125–126 AFCRC Suborbital Aeronomy 23 July Successful 24 July 16:40 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 12 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Labrador Sea USA 1912US Navy Balloon cut down, rocket failed to fire314 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 24 July Launch failure 28 July 09:41 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 13 USA 1912USS Staten Island, southern Davis Strait, near Baffin Island USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 88.4 km314 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 28 July Successful |} August yes 15em August launches 3 August 18:28 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 14 USA 1912Staten Island AGB-5 6, Frobisher Bay USA 1912US Navy Apogee uncertain314 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 3 August Successful 5 August 21:54 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon NRL Rockoon 1 USA 1912USS Staten Island, southern Davis Strait, near Baffin Island USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 79.2 km;311 first of six 1953 NRL flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 5 August 6 August 15:07 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 15 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Davis Strait USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 65.5 km314 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 6 August Successful 6 August 18:40 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 16 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Davis Strait USA 1912US Navy Apogee uncertain315 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 6 August Successful 8 August 15:09 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon NRL Rockoon 2 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Baffin Bay USA 1912US Navy Apogee uncertain;311 second of six 1953 NRL flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 8 August 9 August 05:54 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 17 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Baffin Bay USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 99.1 km315 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 9 August Successful 9 August 19:15 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon NRL Rockoon 3 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Baffin Bay USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 38.1 km;311 third of six 1953 NRL flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 9 August Launch failure 11 August 17:09 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon NRL Rockoon 4 USA 1912USS Staten Island, Baffin Bay USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 80.8 km;311 fourth of six 1953 NRL flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 11 August 30 August 14:00 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 18 USA 1912Eastwind WAGB-279 6, Labrador Sea USA 1912US Coast Guard (Balloon) Apogee: 13.4 km, rocket failed to fire315 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 30 August Launch failure 30 August 16:20 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 19 USA 1912USCGC Eastwind, Labrador Sea USA 1912US Coast Guard (Balloon) Apogee: 19.2 km, rocket failed to fire315 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 30 August Launch failure 30 August 20:46 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 20 USA 1912USCGC Eastwind, Labrador Sea USA 1912US Coast Guard Apogee: 103.6 km315 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 30 August Successful |} September yes 15em September launches 1 September 05:10 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-2 SC 32 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 107.3 km, final flight of the Aerobee XASR-SC-2251–252 USA 1912Grenades SCEL Suborbital Aeronomy 1 September Successful 3 September 09:50 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 21 USA 1912Eastwind WAGB-279 6, Atlantic Ocean, east of Nova Scotia USA 1912US Coast Guard Apogee uncertain316 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 3 September Successful 3 September 11:51 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 22 USA 1912USCGC Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean, east of Nova Scotia USA 1912US Coast Guard Apogee: 103.6 km316 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 3 September Successful 3 September 14:05 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon SUI 23 USA 1912USCGC Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean, east of Nova Scotia USA 1912US Coast Guard Apogee: 99.1 km316 University of Iowa Suborbital Cosmic Radiation 3 September Successful 4 September 03:59 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon NRL Rockoon 5 USA 1912USCGC Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean, east of Nova Scotia USA 1912US Coast Guard Apogee: 67.1 km;311 fifth of six 1953 NRL flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 4 September 4 September 15:51 USA 1912Deacon Rockoon NRL Rockoon 6 USA 1912USCGC Eastwind, Atlantic Ocean, near Nova Scotia USA 1912US Coast Guard (Balloon) Apogee: 13.7 km, rocket failed to fire;311 sixth of six 1953 NRL flights, three of which reached altitude and returned data NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 4 September Launch Failure 5 September 05:35 USA 1912Aerobee XASR-SC-1 SC 33 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 114 km253–254 USA 1912Grenades SCEL Suborbital Aeronomy 5 September Successful 15 September 15:02 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 42 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 32 km, early cut-off due to a thrust chamber burn-through127–128 USA 1912Airglow 5 AFCRC Suborbital Sky Brightness 15 September Launch failure 29 September 20:50 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a SC 31 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Army Apogee: 58 km249–250 USA 1912Sphere SCEL / University of Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 29 September Successful |} October yes 15em October launches 1 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 October Successfulhttp://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 Wade Mark 17 October 2021 1 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 October Successful 1 October USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 October Successfulhttp://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 Wade Mark 17 October 2021 1 October USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 October Successful 7 October 17:00 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 43 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 100 km129–130 AFCRC / University of Colorado Suborbital Solar UV 7 October Successful 10 October USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 10 October Successful 16 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 16 October Successful 17 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 17 October Successful 19 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 19 October Successful 20 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 20 October Successful 24 October USSR 1936R-2 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 24 October Successful 26 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 26 October Successful 27 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 27 October Successful 28 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 28 October Successful 28 October USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 28 October Successful 30 October USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 Beginning of 2nd stage of experimental launches OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 30 October Successful |} November yes 15em November launches 1 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 November Successful 1 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 November Successful 1 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 November Successful 1 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 1 November Successful 2 November 18:32 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 44 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 121 km131–132 USA 1912Ionosphere 5 AFCRC / University of Utah Suborbital Ionospheric 2 November Successful 3 November USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 3 November Successful 3 November 18:15 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 45 USA 1912Holloman LC-A USA 1912US Air Force Apogee: 121.5 km133–134 USA 1912Ionosphere 6 AFCRC / University of Utah Suborbital Ionospheric 3 November Successful 12 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 12 November Successful 15 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 15 November Successful 15 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 15 November Successful 17 November USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 17 November Successful 19 November 22:40 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 NRL 14 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 112 kmMcDowell Jonathan C. General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Aerobee https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/data/launch/AerobeeB.html Jonathan's Space Report 20 November 2022 2 February 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230202195027/https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/data/launch/AerobeeB.html live NRL Suborbital Solar X-Ray / Solar UV / Aeronomy 19 November Successful 21 November USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 21 November Successful 24 November USSR 1936R-1 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 24 November Successful 25 November 15:46 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 NRL 15 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 95 km NRL Suborbital Solar X-Ray / Solar UV / Aeronomy 25 November Successful 26 November USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 26 November Partial failure |} December yes 15em December launches 1 December 15:30 USA 1912Aerobee RTV-N-10 NRL 16 USA 1912White Sands LC-35 USA 1912US Navy Apogee: 129 km NRL Suborbital Solar X-Ray / Solar UV / Aeronomy 1 December Successful 5 December USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 5 December Successful 9 December USSR 1936R-5 USSR 1936Kapustin Yar USSR 1936OKB-1 End of second experimental flight series OKB-1 Suborbital Missile test 9 December Successful |} 1953 off Suborbital launch statistics By country 120 false left [ {"value":460, "color":"#484785", "label": "United States: 46 (52.27%)"}, {"value":420, "color":"#a52a2a", "label": "Soviet Union: 42 (47.73%) "}, ] + Launches by country Country Launches Successes Failures Partialfailures USSR 1936 42 37 0 5 USA 1912 46 34 12 0 World 42 46 37 34 0 12 5 0 By rocket bar chart center 850 400 1 1:0:0:0:0:0 0:5:0:0:0:0 0:1:0:0:0:0 0:4:0:0:0:0 0:13:0:0:0:0 0:0:16:0:0:0 0:0:6:0:0:0 0:0:0:23:0:0 0:0:0:0:4:0 0:0:0:0:0:15 blue #363663 #646e2b : #a7b847 #1e85ae #80daeb : #00cccc #7a1f1f #ff7700 #665000 Viking (second model) Aerobee RTV-N-10 Aerobee XASR-SC-1 Aerobee XASR-SC-2 Aerobee RTV-A-1a Deacon rockoon (SUI) Deacon rockoon (NRL) R-1 R-2 R-5 Viking : Aerobee : Deacon rockoon : R-1 : R-2 : R-5 _launches 5 + Launches by rocket Rocket Country Launches Successes Failures Partialfailures Remarks Viking (second model) USA 1912 1 0 1 0 Aerobee RTV-N-10 USA 1912 5 5 0 0 Aerobee XASR-SC-1 USA 1912 1 1 0 0 Aerobee XASR-SC-2 USA 1912 4 4 0 0 Retired Aerobee RTV-A-1a USA 1912 13 12 1 0 Deacon rockoon (SUI) USA 1912 16 9 7 0 Deacon rockoon (NRL) USA 1912 6 3 3 0 R-1 USSR 1936 23 23 0 0 R-2 USSR 1936 4 4 0 0 R-5 USSR 1936 15 10 0 5 Maiden flight See also Timeline of spaceflight References Footnotes 1953 on Category:Spaceflight by year