1951 in spaceflight

Viking 7 before its 7 August 1951 launch

Rockets
Maiden flights|  Aerobee RTV-A-1a
Aerobee RTV-A-1b
R-1B
R-1V
Retirements|  Viking (first model)
Aerobee RTV-A-1b
R-1B
R-1V

* v
* t
* e

1951 in spaceflight

Timeline of spaceflight

<- Before 1951

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* v
* t
* e

Timeline of spaceflight

* Spaceflight before 1951

1950s|

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2020s|

* 2020
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* 2025 (H1, H2)
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* Future

The year 1951 saw extensive exploration of space by the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) using suborbital rockets. The Soviets launched their first series of biomedical tests to the 100-kilometre (62 mi) boundary of space (as defined by the World Air Sports Federation).[1] Several American agencies launched more than a dozen scientific sounding rocket flights between them. The US Navy launched its Viking sounding rocket for the seventh time since 1949, this time to a record-breaking 136 miles (219 km) in August 1951.

Development also continued by both superpowers on rockets more powerful than the World War Two era German V-2 that had inaugurated the age of spaceflight. The USSR advanced far beyond their R-1 (a V-2 copy) with the deployment of the R-2 rocket, which could carry a ton of explosives twice as far as its predecessor. Though the ambitious Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile was canceled in 1951, the more achievable R-5 missile project was initiated. Both the US Air Force and the US Army initiated their first post-V-2 ballistic missile projects, Atlas for the former and Redstone for the latter.

## Space exploration

[edit]

Soviet R-1 missile

### United States

[edit]

The US Army, US Air Force, and the Applied Physics Laboratory continued their use of Aerobee on a variety of physics, aeronomy, photography, weather, and biomedical sounding rocket flights; a total of 11 were launched during the year.[2] Two of these comprised the earliest space biomedical missions. Launched by the Air Force, and carrying mice and monkeys, they (along with a third flight in 1952) determined that brief (approx. 15 minutes) exposure to acceleration, reduced gravity, and high altitude cosmic radiation did not have significant negative effects.[3]

The first generation of US Navy-built Viking sounding rockets reached its acme of performance with the flight of Viking 7, the sole Viking launch of 1951. Launched 7 August from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the rocket set a new world altitude record of 136 miles (219 km).[4]: 167–171, 236

### Soviet Union

[edit]

The R-1, the Soviet Union's first domestically built long-range ballistic missile, was accepted into service in November 1950. In January 1951, cold-weather testing of the R-1 for quality assurance purposes was conducted.[5]: 149, 152 On 1 June, production of the R-1 was centralized and transferred to a former automobile factory in Dnepropetrovsk, and that month,[6] a test series of R-1s was successfully launched to the edge of space, all landing within 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) of their targets. Though the R-1, a virtual copy of the now-obsolete V-2,[5]: 119 was not a particularly formidable weapon and posed virtually no threat to the West, it was invaluable in training engineers and missile crews, as well as creating a nascent rocket industry in the Soviet Union.[5]: 152–3

On 29 January 1951, dogs were carried on one of the winter test flights of the R-1.[2] This was followed in the summer by six R-1s specifically designed and equipped for biomedical flights to determine if their payload dogs could survive the rigors of space travel and be recovered. Three of the missions were successful.[7] On July 22, 1951, Dezik and Tsygan became the first Soviet space dogs to be launched into sub-orbital spaceflight.[8]

The R-2 missile, the first operational Soviet design to have a separable nose cone, underwent a second test series of thirteen flights in July 1951, experiencing one failure. Accepted for operational service on 27 November 1951,[9] the design had a range of 600 kilometres (370 mi), twice that of the R-1, while maintaining a similar payload of around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb).[5]: 48–9

## Spacecraft development

[edit]

### US Air Force

[edit]

By 1950, the war-head carrying ballistic missile, which in the United States had been eclipsed since World War II by guided missile development, received national priority. In January 1951, the US Air Force's Air Research and Development Command awarded to Consolidated Vultee the contract for Atlas, the nation's first Intercontinental ballistic missile.[10]: 59–61 The Atlas went on to become one of the key boosters in America's crewed and robotic space programs,[11]: 32–39 first orbiting a payload (SCORE) in 1958.[10]: 153, 161–2

### US Army

[edit]

On 15 April 1950, Wernher von Braun and his team of German rocket engineers were transferred from Fort Bliss to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. In 1951, the Redstone team was tasked with researching and developing guided missiles and developing and testing free rockets, solid propellants, Jet-Assisted Take-off rockets, and related items, thus making the Army a leading player in America's missile development.[12] Their work led to the production of the Redstone missile, first launched in 1953,[13] versions of which ultimately launched Explorer 1, America's first artificial satellite, in 1958, and Mercury-Redstone 3, America's first human space mission, in 1961.[14]

### US Navy

[edit]

In the summer of 1950, the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) team led by Milton Rosen began work on an improved Viking rocket able to reach higher altitudes. The team would achieve increased performance through larger fuel tanks and reduced weight elsewhere on the rocket. Originally planned for launch in 1951, the development of the second generation Viking took two years, and the first of the new rockets would not launch until 6 June 1952.[4]: 172–3, 236

### University of Iowa

[edit]

In January 1951, Dr. James Van Allen, instrumental in the development of the Aerobee rocket, joined the physics department at the State University of Iowa (SUI). Along with University of Chicago graduate Melvin B. Gottlieb and Van Allen's first SUI graduate student, Leslie H. Meredith, they began a high altitude cosmic ray research program using equipment mounted on balloons. Launched from 16 June 1951, through 26 January 1952,[15]: 7–10 this experience set the foundation for balloon-launched sounding rockets, which would first breach the boundary of space in 1954.[15]: 38

### Soviet Union

[edit]

From 1947, G-1 (or R-10) missile, designed by German specialists brought to the USSR in 1945 to work on missile projects, competed with the Soviet-designed R-2 for limited engineering and production staff, the latter winning out by the end of 1949. With the project stalled for a lack of resources and government interest, the Soviets terminated all work by the German specialists in October 1950. In December 1951, the first of these Germans were repatriated to East Germany (a process that the Soviets completed in November 1953).[5]: 69–70

The draft plan for the ambitious 3,000-kilometre (1,900 mi) range R-3 had been approved on 7 December 1949,[5]: 67 but was canceled on 20 October 1951, other designs proving more useful and achievable.[5]: 275–6 One of them was the R-5 missile, able to carry the same payload as the R-1 and R-2 but over a distance of 1,200 kilometres (750 mi)[5]: 242 (the other being the R-11, a tactical missile half the size of the R-1 but with the same payload).[16] The R-5's conceptual design was completed by 30 October 1951.[17]: 97

## Launches

[edit]

* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

### January

[edit]

January launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
18 January
20:14  | V-2 | V-2 No. 54  | White Sands LC-33 | GE / US Army
| NRL | Suborbital  | Cosmic Radiation / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray | 18 January | Launch failure
Project Hermes launch, Apogee: 1.61 kilometres (1.00 mi), very low thrust[18][19]: 446–447
22 January
22:55  | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | A19  | White Sands LC-35  | US Navy
| APL | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 22 January | Successful
Apogee: 89 kilometres (55 mi)[19]: 287–288
25 January
15:00  | Aerobee RTV-N-10  | A20  | White Sands LC-35  | US Navy
| APL  | Suborbital  | Ozone Aeronomy | 25 January | Successful
Apogee: 90 kilometres (56 mi)[19]: 289–290
29 January | R-1 |  | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 29 January | Successful
Carried dogs[2]
30 January | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 30 January | Successful[2]
31 January | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 31 January | Successful[2]

### February

[edit]

February launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
1 February | R-1 |  | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 1 February | Successful[2]
2 February | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 2 February | Successful[2]
6 February
17:20  | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | A21  | White Sands LC-35  | US Navy
| APL | Suborbital  | Photography | 6 February | Successful
Apogee: 98 kilometres (61 mi)[19]: 291–292

### March

[edit]

March launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
9 March
03:16  | V-2 | V-2 No. 57  | White Sands LC-33  | GE / US Army
Blossom IVE  | Air Materiel Command | Suborbital  | Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy / Ionospheric / Airglow | 9 March | Launch failure
Project Hermes launch, apogee: 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi), explosions starting at 15.5 seconds destroyed the tail section[18][19]: 452–453
28 March
23:14  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 10  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRL | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 28 March | Successful
Apogee: 66 kilometres (41 mi)[19]: 64–65

### April

[edit]

April launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
12 April
17:26  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 11  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRL / University of Colorado | Suborbital  | Solar UV | 12 April | Partial failure
Apogee: 29 kilometres (18 mi), premature engine cutoff at 30.6 seconds[19]: 66–67
18 April
18:39  | Aerobee RTV-A-1  | USAF 12  | Holloman LC-A  | US Air Force
Aeromed 1  | AFCRL / WADC Aero-Medical Laboratory  | Suborbital  | Biological | 18 April | Successful
First biomedical Aerobee mission, carried monkey;[20] apogee: 61 kilometres (38 mi)[19]: 68–69

### May

[edit]

May launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
29 May
19:46  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 13  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRL / Boston University | Suborbital  | Ionospheric | 29 May | Launch failure
Apogee: 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi)[19]: 70–71

### June

[edit]

June launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
8 June
00:11  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 14  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRL | Suborbital  | Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy | 8 June | Successful
Apogee: 89 kilometres (55 mi)[19]: 72–73
8 June
01:18  | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 19  | White Sands LC-35  | US Army
| USASC / University of Michigan | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 8 June | Launch failure
Apogee: 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi), full burn but very low thrust[19]: 224–225
9 June
06:11  | Aerobee XASR-SC-1  | SC 18  | White Sands LC-35  | US Army
Grenades  | USASC  | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 9 June | Successful
Apogee: 66.8 kilometres (41.5 mi)[19]: 221–223
13 June | R-1 |  | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 13 June | Successful[2]
14 June
13:48  | V-2 | V-2 No. 55  | White Sands LC-33 | GE / US Army
| NRL  | Suborbital  | Cosmic Radiation / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray | 14 June | Launch failure
Project Hermes launch, apogee: 0 kilometres (0 mi), rocket exploded at ignition[18][19]: 449
14 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 14 June | Successful[2]
18 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 18 June | Successful[2]
19 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 19 June | Successful[2]
20 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 20 June | Successful[2]
22 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 22 June | Successful[2]
23 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 23 June | Successful[2]
24 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 24 June | Successful[2]
25 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 25 June | Successful[2]
26 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 26 June | Successful[2]
27 June | R-1  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 27 June | Successful[2]
28 June
21:43  | V-2  | V-2 No. 52  | White Sands LC-33  | GE / US Army
Blossom IVF  | Air Materiel Command | Suborbital  | Solar UV / Solar X-Ray / Ionospheric / Photography / Aeronomy / Biological | 28 June | Launch failure
Final project Hermes launch, apogee: 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi), explosion in tail section at 8 seconds, cutoff triggered at 22 seconds[18][19]: 441–443

### July

[edit]

July launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
2 July | R-2 |  | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 2 July |
First of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Second of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Third of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Fourth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Fifth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Sixth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Seventh of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Eighth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Ninth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Tenth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Eleventh of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | Same day |
Twelfth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
22 July | R-1V |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Biological | 22 July | Successful
Maiden flight of the R-1V;[2] first ever space dog mission carried dogs Dezik and Zhegan which were recovered.[21]: 21
25 July
16:26  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 15  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRC | Suborbital  | Sky Brightness | 25 July | Successful
Apogee: 71.3 kilometres (44.3 mi)[19]: 74–75
27 July | R-2  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 27 July |
Last of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.[17]: 97
29 July | R-1B |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Biological | 29 July | Launch failure
Maiden flight of the R-1B; electrical failure, no payload recovery; carried dogs did not survive[2]

### August

[edit]

August launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
7 August
16:36  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 16  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRC / Boston University | Suborbital  | Ionospheric | 7 August | Successful
Apogee: 83.5 kilometres (51.9 mi)[19]: 76–77
7 August
18:00  | Viking (first model) |  | White Sands LC-33 – Army Launch Area 1  | US Navy
Viking 7  | NRL | Suborbital  | Cosmic Radiation / Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy | 7 August | Successful
Final flight of the first model Viking, apogee: 219 kilometres (136 mi)[19]: 492–493
15 August | R-1B |  | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Solar UV / Biological | 15 August | Successful
Carried dogs, recovered[2]
19 August | R-1V |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Biological | 19 August | Successful
Final flight of the R-1V; carried dogs, recovered[2]
22 August
19:00  | V-2 | TF-1  | White Sands LC-33  | US Army
| US Army  | Suborbital  | Altitude test | 22 August | Successful
First all Army team after General Electric's contract concluded; apogee: 213.4 kilometres (132.6 mi)[19]: 463
28 August | R-1B  |  | Kapustin Yar  | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Biological | 28 August | Successful[2]
30 August
22:40  | Aerobee RTV-A-1b | USAF 17  | Holloman LC-A  | US Air Force
| AFCRC  | Suborbital  | Rocket test | 30 August | Successful
Maiden (and only) flight of the RTV-A-1b, apogee: 76 kilometres (47 mi)[19]: 78–79

### September

[edit]

September launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
3 September | R-1B |  | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1
| OKB-1  | Suborbital  | Biological | 3 September | Successful
Final flight of the R-1B; carried dogs, recovered[2]
13 September
11:37  | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 18  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRC / University of Michigan | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 13 September | Successful
Apogee: 76 kilometres (47 mi)[19]: 80–81
20 September
16:31  | Aerobee RTV-A-1  | USAF 19  | Holloman LC-A  | US Air Force
Aeromed 2  | AFCRC / WADC Aero-Medical Laboratory  | Suborbital  | Biological | 20 September | Successful
Carried monkey, Yorick/Albert VI, and 11 mice, all recovered;[20] apogee: 71 kilometres (44 mi)[19]: 82–83
27 September
00:06  | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 21  | White Sands LC-35  | US Army
| USASC / University of Michigan  | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 27 September | Successful
Apogee: 68.9 kilometres (42.8 mi)[19]: 229–230

### October

[edit]

October launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
17 October
18:17  | Aerobee RTV-A-1a | USAF 20  | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force
| AFCRC / Boston University | Suborbital  | Ionospheric | 17 October | Successful
Apogee: 114.3 kilometres (71.0 mi), maiden flight of the RTV-A-1a[19]: 84
29 October
21:04  | V-2 | V-2 No. 60  | White Sands LC-33 | US Army
| USASC / University of Michigan | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 29 October | Successful
Apogee: 141.0 kilometres (87.6 mi)[19]: 458–459

### November

[edit]

November launches Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks
1 November
09:46  | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 20  | White Sands LC-35  | US Army
Grenades  | USASC | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 1 November | Successful
Apogee: 66.3 kilometres (41.2 mi)[19]: 226–227
3 November
00:35  | Aerobee XASR-SC-1  | SC 22  | White Sands LC-35  | US Army
Grenades  | USASC  | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 3 November | Successful
Apogee: 82 kilometres (51 mi)[19]: 231–232

* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

## Suborbital launch statistics

[edit]

### By country

[edit]

Launches by country Country  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial
failures

|
|
|
|

|  Soviet Union | 26 | 19 | 6 | 1
|  United States | 35 | 33 | 1 | 1
World  | 61 | 52 | 7 | 2

### By rocket

[edit]

V-2

Viking

Aerobee

R-1

R-2

* V-2 (American)
* Viking (first model)
* Aerobee RTV-N-10
* Aerobee XASR-SC-1
* Aerobee RTV-A-1
* Aerobee RTV-A-1b
* Aerobee RTV-A-1a
* R-1
* R-1V
* R-1B
* R-2

Launches by rocket Rocket  | Country  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial
failures  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|

V-2 |  United States | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
Viking (first model) |  United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Retired
Aerobee RTV-N-10 |  United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Aerobee XASR-SC-1 |  United States | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1 |  United States | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
Aerobee RTV-A-1b |  United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired
Aerobee RTV-A-1a |  United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight
R-1 |  Soviet Union | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
R-1V |  Soviet Union | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired
R-1B |  Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired
R-2 |  Soviet Union | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 |

## See also

[edit]

* Timeline of spaceflight

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Paul Voosen (24 July 2018). "Outer space may have just gotten a bit closer". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aau8822. S2CID 126154837. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Mark Wade. "1951 Chronology". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
3. ^ Wayne O. Mattson; Martyn D. Tagg (June 1995). We Develop Missiles not Air! (PDF). Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico: Legacy Resource Management Program, Air Combat Command USAF. pp. 45–52\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 February 2021.
4. ^ a b Milton W. Rosen (1955). The Viking Rocket Story. New York: Harper & Brothers. OCLC 317524549.
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Timeline of spaceflight

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1950s|

* 1950
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1960s|

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* 1969

1970s|

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1980s|

* 1980
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* 1989

1990s|

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2000s|

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2010s|

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* 2018
* 2019

2020s|

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