*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)
