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1957 in spaceflight
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| year | 1957 |
| image | Dawn of the Space Age.jpg |
| caption | Artist's impression of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, in orbit |
| first | 4 October |
| last | 6 December |
| total | 3 |
| success | 1 |
| failed | 1 |
| partial | 1 |
| catalogued | 2 |
| firstflight | |
| firstsat | USSR |
| firstlaunch | USSR |
| maidens | Sputnik-PS |
| Vanguard | |
| retired | Sputnik-PS |
Vanguard
The first orbital flight of an artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched in October 1957, by the Soviet Union. In November, the second orbital flight took place. The Soviet Union launched the first animal to orbit the Earth, a dog, Laika, who died in orbit a few hours after launch.
- Thor, Atlas, and R-7 rocket families all have maiden flights this year, all three of which will have long legacies for over 50 years.
- Australia and the UK go to space with sounding rockets; first space launches from Australia.
- The R-12 makes its maiden flight.
- The US makes its first orbital attempt and fails (Vanguard TV-3).
Overview
First Orbital launch
On 4 October, Sputnik 1 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 1/5 on a Sputnik rocket, a variant of R-7 rocket. The Successful Insertion of Sputnik 1 into Orbit is marked as the first orbital launch in human history.
A Second satellite Sputnik 2 was also launched on 3 November marking the second orbital launch attempt carried a dog named, Laika.
Orbital launches
October
|-
|d-date = 4 January 1958
November
|- |d-date = 14 April 1958
December
|- |d-date = 6 December
|}
Suborbital flights
|d-date = 8 January |d-date = 13 January |d-date = 14 January |d-date = 15 January |d-date = 19 January |d-date = 24 January |d-date = 26 January |d-date = 29 January
|d-date = 2 February |d-date = 7 February |d-date = 12 February |d-date = 13 February |d-date = 14 February |d-date = 14 February |d-date = 17 February |d-date = 19 February |d-date = 28 February
|d-date = 1 March |d-date = 1 March |d-date = 11 March |d-date = 11 March |d-date = 18 March |d-date = 18 March |d-date = 21 March |d-date = 21 March |d-date = 28 March |d-date = 29 March
|d-date = 10 April |d-date = 11 April |d-date = 12 April |d-date = 13 April |d-date = 14 April |d-date = 20 April |d-date = 26 April |d-date = 30 April
|d-date = 1 May |d-date = 3 May |d-date = 15 May |d-date = 15 May |d-date = 16 May |d-date = 16 May |d-date = 22 May |d-date = 22 May |d-date = 24 May |d-date = 29 May |d-date = 31 May
|d-date = Same day |d-date = Same day |d-date = 5 June |d-date = 7 June |d-date = 7 June |d-date = 10 June |d-time = 11 June |d-date = 14 June |d-date = 18 June |d-date = 22 June |d-date = 22 June |d-date = 23 June |d-date = 25 June |d-date = 28 June |d-date = 28 June |d-date = 28 June |d-date = 29 June
|d-date = 1 July |d-date = 3 July |d-date = 4 July |d-date = 4 July |d-date = 4 July |d-date = 5 July |d-date = 5 July |d-date = 7 July |d-date = 8 July |d-date = 9 July |d-date = 9 July |d-date = 9 July |d-date = 10 July |d-date = 10 July |d-date = 12 July |d-date = 13 July |d-date = 13 July |d-date = 15 July |d-date = 16 July |d-date = 18 July |d-date = 18 July |d-date = 18 July |d-date = 19 July |d-date = 19 July |d-date = 22 July |d-date = 22 July |d-date = 22 July |d-date = 23 July |d-date = 23 July |d-date = 24 July |d-date = 24 July |d-date = 24 July |d-date = 24 July |d-date = 27 July |d-date = 29 July |d-date = 29 July |d-date = 30 July
|d-date = 2 August |d-date = 2 August |d-date = 5 August |d-date = 5 August |d-date = 5 August |d-date = 5 August |d-date = 6 August |d-date = 6 August |d-date = 6 August |d-date = 6 August |d-date = 7 August |d-date = 7 August |d-date = 7 August |d-date = 8 August |d-date = 8 August |d-date = 8 August |d-date = 9 August |d-date = 10 August |d-date = 10 August |d-date = 11 August |d-date = 11 August |d-date = 12 August |d-date = 12 August |d-date = 12 August |d-date = 13 August |d-date = 13 August |d-date = 14 August |d-date = 14 August |d-date = 14 August |d-date = 15 August |d-date = 15 August |d-date = 16 August |d-date = 19 August |d-date = 20 August |d-date = 20 August |d-date = 20 August |d-date = 21 August |d-date = 21 August |d-date = 22 August |d-date = 23 August |d-date = 23 August |d-date = 24 August |d-date = 25 August |d-date = 25 August |d-date = 25 August |d-date = 25 August |d-date = 27 August |d-date = 27 August |d-date = 27 August |d-date = 27 August |d-date = 28 August |d-date = 28 August |d-date = 28 August |d-date = 29 August |d-date = 29 August |d-time = 30 August |d-date = 31 August |d-date = 31 August
|d-date = 1 September |d-date = 5 September |d-date = 7 September |d-date = 9 September |d-date = 12 September |d-date = 12 September |d-date = 14 September |d-date = 15 September |d-date = 17 September |d-date = 18 September |d-date = 18 September |d-date = 19 September |d-date = 20 September |d-date = 21 September |d-date = 21 September |d-date = 22 September |d-date = 23 September |d-date = 25 September |d-date = 25 September |d-date = 26 September |d-date = 26 September |d-date = 26 September |d-date = 27 September |d-date = 29 September |d-date = 30 September
|d-date = Same Day |d-date = 1 October |d-date = 2 October |d-date = 3 October |d-date = 3 October |d-date = 4 October |d-date = 6 October |d-date = 6 October |d-date = 7 October |d-date = 11 October |d-date = 11 October |d-date = 12 October |d-date = 12 October |d-date = 13 October |d-date = 13 October |d-date = 13 October |d-date = 13 October |d-date = 14 October |d-date = 14 October |d-date = 14 October |d-date = 14 October |d-date = 16 October |d-date = 17 October |d-date = 17 October |d-date = 17 October |d-date = 17 October |d-date = 18 October |d-date = 18 October |d-date = 18 October |d-date = 19 October |d-date = 19 October |d-date = 20 October |d-date = 20 October |d-date = 20 October |d-date = 20 October |d-date = 22 October |d-date = 22 October |d-date = 23 October |d-date = 23 October |d-date = 23 October |d-date = 24 October |d-date = 24 October |d-date = 24 October |d-date = 24 October |d-date = 24 October |d-date = 25 October |d-date = 25 October |d-date = 26 October |d-date = 26 October |d-date = 27 October |d-date = 27 October |d-date = 29 October |d-date = 30 October |d-date = 31 October |d-date = 31 October
|d-date = 1 November |d-date = 3 November |d-date = 3 November |d-date = 4 November |d-date = 4 November |d-date = 4 November |d-date = 4 November |d-date = 4 November |d-date = 4 November |d-date = 5 November |d-date = 5 November |d-date = 5 November |d-date = 7 November |d-date = 8 November |d-date = 8 November |d-date = 8 November |d-date = 9 November |d-date = 9 November |d-date = 10 November |d-date = 13 November |d-date = 19 November |d-date = 26 November |d-date = 27 November |d-date = 30 November
|d-date = 7 December |d-date = 10 December |d-date = 10 December |d-date = 10 December |d-date = 12 December |d-date = 14 December |d-date = 15 December |d-date = 17 December |d-date = 19 December |d-date = 19 December |d-date = 23 December |d-date = 26 December |d-date = Same day |d-date = Same day |d-date = Same day |d-date = Same day
|}
Orbital launch statistics
By country
| [ {"value":200, "color":"#A52A2A", "label": "Soviet Union: 2 (66.66%)"}, {"value":100, "color":"#484785", "label": "United States: 1 (33.33%)"}, ]
| Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| failures | Remarks | style="text-align:left;" | USSR | style="text-align:left;" | USA | ||||
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
By rocket
| Rocket | Country | Type | Family | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | Sputnik-PS (8K71PS) | Vanguard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USSR | Sputnik | R-7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Maiden flight, first Soviet orbital flight and satellite, retired | |||
| USA | Vanguard | Viking | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, first US orbital attempt |
By launch site
| Site | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | Baikonur | Cape Canaveral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USSR | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| USA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
By orbit
| Orbital regime | Launches | Successes | Failures | Accidentally | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achieved | Remarks | Low Earth | Medium Earth | ||||
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Launch statistics
By country
| Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| failures | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | USSR | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | USA | World | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 106 | 102 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 170 | 119 | 46 | 5 |
By rocket
: #363663 : #5b59a6 : #cecde4
: #1e85ae : #25a7da : #7ccae9 : #bee5f4
: #33ffff : #b3ffff
: #66d9ff : #007399 : #0099cc : #1c98b0
: #828b74 : #a8ae9e : #cdd1c7
: #971e02 : #f93004
: #859339 : #646e2b
: #2b506e
: #3f4d5a
: #7a1f1f : #cb3434
: #ff7700 : #ffad66
: #997800
: #8e9a39 : #acba45
: #996600
: #7d6b4f : #e8af00
: Vanguard
: Aerobee RTV-N-10
: Aerobee RTV-N-10c
: Aerobee Hi (NRL)
: Aerobee RTV-A-1a
: Aerobee Hi (USAF)
: Aerobee AJ10-34
: Aerobee (Unknown)
: Loki rockoon
: Farside
: Nike-Deacon
: Nike-Cajun
: Terrapin
: Nike-Asp
: X-17
: Polaris FTV-5
: Polaris FTV-3
: HJ-Nike
: HJ-Nike-Nike
: Jupiter-C
: SM-78 Jupiter
: XSM-75 Thor
: XSM-65A Atlas
: R-1
: A-1
: R-2
: R-2A
: R-5M
: R-7
: Sputnik-PS (8K71PS)
: R-12
: Skylark (Raven 1)
: Long Tom
Vanguard : Aerobee : Rockoon : Nike/
Deacon : Sergeant : Honest John : Jupiter : Thor : Atlas : R-1 : R-2 : R-5 : R-7 : R-12 : Others
| Rocket | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| failures | Remarks | Viking (second model) | Vanguard | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | Aerobee RTV-N-10c | Aerobee Hi (NRL) | Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Aerobee Hi (USAF) | Aerobee AJ10-34 | Aerobee (Unknown Type) | Loki rockoon | Farside | Nike-Deacon | Nike-Cajun | Terrapin | Nike-Asp | X-17 | Polaris FTV-5 | Polaris FTV-3 | HJ-Nike | HJ-Nike-Nike | Jupiter-C | SM-78 Jupiter | XSM-75 Thor | XSM-65A Atlas | R-1 | A-1 | R-2 | R-2A | R-5M | R-7 | Sputnik-PS (8K71PS) | R-12 | Skylark (Raven 1) | Long Tom | |||||
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, first US orbital attempt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 21 | 19 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 57 | 44 | 13 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USA | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 37 | 37 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Maiden flight, first Soviet orbital flight and satellite, retired | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USSR | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, first British spaceflight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, first Australian spaceflight |
References
Footnotes
References
- "Orbital Launches of 1957".
- "Sputnik 8K71PS {{!}} Sputnik 1".
- "Sputnik 1 (PS-1 #1)".
- "Sputnik 8K71PS {{!}} Sputnik 2".
- "Sputnik 2 (PS-2 #1)".
- "Vanguard {{!}} Vanguard TV3".
- "Vanguard (6.5in)".
- Wade, Mark. "X-17".
- Wade, Mark. "R-1 8A11".
- Wade, Mark. "R-5".
- Wade, Mark. "HJ Nike".
- Wade, Mark. "Thor".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Aerobee".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Loki".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Raven".
- Wade, Mark. "R-2".
- Wade, Mark. "Jupiter IRBM".
- Wade, Mark. "R-2A".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Sergeant".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Thor".
- Wade, Mark. "Viking Sounding Rocket".
- Wade, Mark. "Jupiter C".
- Wade, Mark. "R-7".
- Wade, Mark. "Atlas A".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, R-12".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Nike".
- Wade, Mark. "R-1".
- 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". Naval Research Laboratory.
- Wade, Mark. "Loki Rockoon".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, V-2".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Recruit".
- "Aeronutronics Farside".
- Flight apogee not confirmed, but the rocket was capable of spaceflight
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Long Tom".
- Wade, Mark. "Vanguard".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Honest John".
- "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Deacon".
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