*The launches described in this table include only those related to the exploration of the moon: unmanned lunar probes, unmanned tests of spacecraft designed for later manned missions, and manned spacecraft flights. The table is not intended as a comprehensive summary of all American and Soviet space flights.
AMR - Atlantic Missile Range.
S - successful.
P - Partially successful.
U - Unsuccessful.
Unknown - Launch vehicle malfunctions did not give the payload a chance to exercise its main experiments.
Date Name General Launch Performance Mission Vehicle Veh Payload Mission (site) Results ==== ======= ========== =========== === ======= =======
Aug 17 Pioneer Scientific Thor-Able U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR) Oct 11 Pioneer I Scientific Thor-Able U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR) Nov 8 Pioneer II Scientific Thor-Able U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR) Dec 6 Pioneer III Scientific Juno II U P P lunar probe (AMR)
Jan 2 Lunik I Scientific Unknown P P P lunar probe (U.S.S.R.) Mar 3 Pioneer IV Scientific Juno II P P P lunar probe (AMR) Sep 12 Lunik II Scientific Unknown S S S lunar lander (U.S.S.R.) Oct 4 Lunik III Lunar Unknown S S S photography Nov 26 Pioneer Scientific Atlas-Able U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR)
May 9 Mercury Capsule escape Launch escape S S S abort test rocket test, rocket unmanned (Wallops Is.) May 15 Korabl Unmanned Unknown P S P Sputnik I orbital (U.S.S.R.) spacecraft flight Jul 29 Mercury- Unmanned Atlas (AMR) U Unknown U Atlas 1 suborbital (MA-1) spacecraft flight Aug 19 Korabl Unmanned Unknown S S S Sputnik II orbital (U.S.S.R.) spacecraft flight Sep 25 Pioneer Lunar orbiter Atlas-Able U Unknown U (AMR) Nov 8 Little Joe 5 Unmanned max q Little Joe U Unknown U (LJ-5) Mercury (Wallops Is.) spacecraft abort test Nov 21 Mercury- Unmanned Redstone U Unknown U Redstone 1 suborbital (AMR) (MR-1) spacecraft flight Dec 1 Korabl Unmanned Unknown P S P Sputnik III orbital (U.S.S.R.) spacecraft flight Dec 15 Pioneer Scientific Atlas-Able U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR) Dec 19 Mercury- Unmanned Redstone S S S Redstone 1A suborbital (AMR) (MR-1A) spacecraft flight
Jan 31 Mercury- Unmanned Redstone S S S Redstone 2 suborbital (AMR) (MR-2) spacecraft flight Feb 21 Mercury- Unmanned Atlas S S S Atlas 2 suborbital (AMR) (MA-2) spacecraft flight Mar 9 Korabl Unmanned Unknown S S S Sputnik IV orbital (U.S.S.R.) spacecraft flight Mar 18 Little Unmanned max q Little Joe P P P Joe 5A Mercury (Wallops Is.) (LJ-5A) spacecraft abort test Mar 25 Korabl Unmanned Unknown S S S Sputnik V orbital (U.S.S.R.) spacecraft flight Apr 12 Vostok I Manned orbital Unknown S S S spacecraft (U.S.S.R.) flight Apr 25 Mercury- Unmanned Atlas U Unknown U Atlas 3 orbital (AMR) (MA-3) spacecraft flight Apr 28 Little Unmanned max q Little Joe P S S Joe 5B Mercury (Wallops Is.) (LJ-5B) spacecraft abort test May 5 Freedom 7 Suborbital Redstone S S S (MR-3) manned (AMR) spacecraft flight Jul 21 Liberty Suborbital Redstone S S S Bell 7 manned (AMR) (MR-4) spacecraft flight Aug 6 Vostok II Manned orbital Unknown S S S spacecraft (U.S.S.R.) flight Aug 23 Ranger I Scientific Atlas-Agena B U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR) Sep 13 Mercury- Unmanned Atlas S S S Atlas 4 orbital (AMR) (MA-4) spacecraft flight Oct 27 Saturn Launch vehicle Saturn C-1 S S (SA-1) development (AMR) test Nov 18 Ranger II Scientific Atlas-Agena B U Unknown U lunar probe (AMR) Nov 29 Mercury- Unmanned Atlas S S S Atlas 5 orbital (AMR) (MA-5) spacecraft flight
Jan 26 Ranger III Scientific Atlas-Agena B U Unknown U lunar lander (AMR) Feb 20 Friendship Manned orbital Atlas S S S 7 (MA-6) spacecraft (AMR) flight Apr 23 Ranger IV Scientific Atlas-Agena B U Unknown U lunar lander (AMR) Apr 25 Saturn Launch vehicle Saturn C-1 S S S (SA-2) development (AMR) test May 24 Aurora 7 Manned orbital Atlas S S S (MA-7) spacecraft (AMR) flight Aug 11 Vostok III- Manned orbital Unknown S S S -12 Vostok IV spacecraft (U.S.S.R.) flights Oct 3 Sigma 7 Manned orbital Atlas S S S (MA-8) spacecraft (AMR) flight Oct 18 Ranger V Scientific Atlas-Agena B S S S lunar lander (AMR)