1956_in_spaceflight

1956 in spaceflight
	The Jupiter-C sounding rocket made its maiden flight in 1956
Rockets
Maiden flights	Aerobee AJ10-34; Nike-Cajun; Terrapin; Jupiter-C; R-1UK; R-5RD; R-5R
Retirements	Aerobee XASR-SC-1; Deacon rockoon; Nike-Nike-T40-T55; R-1E; R-1UK; R-5RD; R-5R
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1956 in spaceflight

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This is a list of spaceflight related events which occurred in 1956.

Crewed orbital spaceflight studied
First nuclear warhead launched on a missile
Atlas, Titan, Redstone programs going strong
China begins missile development
The race to launch a satellite heats up
Japan's first substantial sounding rocket launched, the Kappa-1, but nation wouldn't go to space until the Kappa-8 in 1960
First spaceflight launches from Canadian facility at Churchill

Quick Facts Rockets, Maiden flights ...

Launches

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[asifr-5-1] [1]
Asif Siddiqi (2021). "R-5 Launches 1953-1959". Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2021.

[astrox17-2] [2]
Wade, Mark. "X-17". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2021.

[astror-18a11-3] [3]
Wade, Mark. "R-1 8A11". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2021.

[astror2-4] [4]
Wade, Mark. "R-2". Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2021.

[NRL4276-5] [5]
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 (pdf). Washington D.C.: Naval Research Laboratory. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2022.

[astrohjn-6] [6]
Wade, Mark. "HJ Nike". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2021.

[gcat-aerobee-7] [7]
McDowell, Jonathan C. "General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects, Launches, Aerobee". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2022.

[astror1uk-8] [8]
Wade, Mark. "R-1UK". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[astror-1e-9] [9]
Wade, Mark. "R-1E". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[astror1ea1-10] [10]
Wade, Mark. "R-1E (A-1)". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[astronnt40t50-11] [11]
Wade, Mark. "Nike Nike T40 T55". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2021.

[astrocan-12] [12]
Wade, Mark. "Nike Cajun". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2021.

[astrodeacon-13] [13]
Wade, Mark. "Deacon Rockoon". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2021.

[14] [14]
"Explorer-I and Jupiter-C". nasa.gov. Department of Astronautics, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.

[astroterra-15] [15]
Wade, Mark. "Terrapin". Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2021.

[astror5-16] [16]
Wade, Mark. "R-5". Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2021.

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"Vanguard, A History – Early Test Firings". nasa.gov. NASA History Division. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2021.

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Wade, Mark. "A-1 (R-1)". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2021.

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Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
11 January	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	11 January	Successful^[1]
17 January	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	17 January	Successful^[1]
20 January	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	Test flight	20 January	Successful
		Apogee: 132 kilometres (82 mi)^[2]
21 January	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful^[3]
21 January	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful^[1]
24 January	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 January	Successful^[3]
24 January	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 January	Launch failure^[3]

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
2 February	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

		Baykal	MVS	Suborbital	Nuclear weapon test	2 February	Successful
		First launch of a missile carrying a live nuclear warhead^[1]
6 February	R-5M			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	6 February	Successful^[1]
13 February	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	13 February	Successful^[3]
14 February	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	14 February	Successful^[3]
16 February	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	16 February	Successful
		Maiden flight of the R-5RD (or M5RD)^[1]
17 February	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	17 February	Successful^[4]

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
5 March	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	Test flight	5 March	Successful
		Apogee: 116 kilometres (72 mi)^[2]
7 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	7 March	Successful^[1]
9 March	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	9 March	Successful^[4]
12 March 21:15	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 62	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Ionospheric	12 March	Successful
		Apogee: 95 kilometres (59 mi)^[5]^{: 166–167}
14 March 08:45	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 63	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Ionospheric / Aeronomy	14 March	Successful
		Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)^[5]^{: 168–169}
15 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	15 March	Successful^[1]
17 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	17 March	Successful^[1]
23 March	R-5RD			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	R-7 component test	23 March	Successful^[1]
28 March	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 March	Successful^[3]

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
9 April	HJ-Nike			Wallops Island		NACA

			NACA	Suborbital	Test flight	9 April	Successful
		Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)^[6]
12 April 02:05	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		USAF 64	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

		Sodium Release 3	AFCRC	Suborbital	Ionospheric / Aeronomy	12 April	Successful
		Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)^[5]^{: 170–171}
16 April	R-1			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	16 April	Successful^[3]
17 April	X-17			Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force

			ARDC	Suborbital	REV test	17 April	Successful
		Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)^[2]
29 April	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	29 April	Successful^[4]

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
1 May 22:05	Aerobee Hi		NRL 39	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Test flight	1 May	Launch failure
		Apogee: 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13a^[7]
8 May	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	8 May	Successful^[8]
8 May	R-2			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	8 May	Successful^[4]
8 May 14:54	Aerobee AJ10-34		USAF 65	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC / University of Colorado	Suborbital	Solar UV	8 May	Successful
		Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi), maiden flight of the Aerobee AJ10-34^[5]^{: 172–173}
8 May 15:15	Aerobee Hi		NRL 42	White Sands LC-35		US Navy

			NRL	Suborbital	Test flight	8 May	Launch failure
		Apogee: 188 kilometres (117 mi), Navy variant designation: RV-N-13a^[7]
10 May	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	10 May	Successful^[8]
14 May	R-1E			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological	14 May	Successful
		Carried dogs, all recovered^[9]
16 May	R-1UK			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Project T-3	16 May	Successful^[8]
16 May 15:40	Aerobee Hi		USAF 66	Holloman LC-A		US Air Force

			AFCRC	Suborbital	Test flight	16 May	Launch failure
		Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)^[5]^{: 174–175}
31 May 02:57	R-1E			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological / Solar UV	31 May	Successful
		Carried dogs, all recovered^[9]
31 May	R-5R			Kapustin Yar		OKB-1

			MVS	Suborbital	Radio guidance test	31 May	Successful
		Maiden flight of the R-5R^[1]

1956_in_spaceflight

1956 in spaceflight

Launches

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Suborbital launch summary

By country

By rocket

See also

References

Footnotes

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Rockets
The Jupiter-C sounding rocket made its maiden flight in 1956
Maiden flights	Aerobee AJ10-34 Nike-Cajun Terrapin Jupiter-C R-1UK R-5RD R-5R
Retirements	Aerobee XASR-SC-1 Deacon rockoon Nike-Nike-T40-T55 R-1E R-1UK R-5RD R-5R
v t e

Rocket	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Unknown	Remarks
Viking (second model)	United States	1	1	0	0
Aerobee RTV-N-10	United States	1	0	1	0
Aerobee RTV-N-10c	United States	1	1	0	0
Aerobee Hi (NRL)	United States	8	4	3	1
Aerobee XASR-SC-1	United States	2	2	0	0	Retired
Aerobee RTV-A-1a	United States	5	4	1	0
Aerobee Hi (USAF)	United States	2	1	1	0
Aerobee AJ10-34	United States	9	9	0	0	Maiden flight
Deacon rockoon (NRL)	United States	10	8	2	0	Retired
Nike-Nike-T40-T55	United States	1	1	0	0	Retired
Nike-Cajun	United States	11	11	0	0	Maiden flight
Terrapin	United States	2	1	1	0	Maiden flight
X-17	United States	20	17	3	0
HJ-Nike	United States	2	2	0	0
Jupiter-C	United States	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
R-1	Soviet Union	17	15	2	0
A-1	Soviet Union	1	1	0	0
R-1E	Soviet Union	3	3	0	0	Retired
R-1UK	Soviet Union	10	10	0	0	Maiden flight, retired
R-2	Soviet Union	11	11	0	0
R-5M	Soviet Union	14	14	0	0
R-5RD	Soviet Union	10	10	0	0	Maiden flight, retired
R-5R	Soviet Union	3	3	0	0	Maiden flight, retired