- 1957 in spaceflight
|
January 26
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Exploded on pad.
-
|March 1
21:51GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-5, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Maiden flight of Jupiter IRBM.
Overheated and disintegrated.
-
|April 20
04:33GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Maiden flight of Thor IRBM.
Tracking error led flight controllers to incorrectly believe rocket was off course, self-destruct activated.
-
|April 26
20:12GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-5, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
-
|May 1
06:29GMT
|Viking
|LC-18, Cape Canaveral
|US Navy
|Vanguard third stage
|US Navy
|Sub-orbital
|Test Vanguard third stage
|May 1 ,1957
|Successful
|Final flight of Viking sounding rocket.
-
|May 15
07:55GMT
|Jupiter C (Juno)
|LC-6, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Gyro failure at T+134 seconds.
-
|May 15
16:01GMT
|R-7
|LC-1, Baikonur
|MVS
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|Test flight
|N/A
|Failure
|Maiden flight of R-7 rocket.
Booster rocket tore away at T+98 seconds.
Engine fire.
-
|May 22
03:00GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Valve malfunction resulted in high internal pressure and ultimately explosion.
-
|May 31
18:08GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-5, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|June 11
19:37GMT
|Atlas A
|LC-14, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|ICBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Maiden flight of Atlas.
Fuel system malfunction.
-
|July 12
12:53GMT
|R-7
|LC-1, Baikonur
|MVS
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|Test flight
|N/A
|Failure
|Loss of control.
Boosters jettisoned prematurely at T+33 seconds.
-
|August 8
06:59GMT
|Jupiter C (Juno)
|LC-6, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
|Nosecone recovered, proving re-entry system worked.
-
|August 21
12:25GMT
|R-7
|LC-1, Baikonur
|MVS
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|Test flight
|N/A
|Successful
|World's first successfulICBM flight.
-
|August 28
21:02GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-26A, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|August 30
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17A, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Disintegrated at T+92 seconds.
-
|September 7
11:39GMT
|R-7
|LC-1, Baikonur
|MVS
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|Test flight
|N/A
|Successful
-
|September 20
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|September 25
19:57GMT
|Atlas A
|LC-14, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|ICBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Fuel system malfunction.
-
|October 3
17:13GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17A, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Exploded on pad.
-
|October 4
19:28GMT
|R-7 8K71PS
|LC-1, Baikonur
|RVSN
|Sputnik 1
|RVSN
|LEO
|Demonstrate orbital launch capability
|January 3 ,1958
|Successful
|First successful orbital satellite.
-
|October 11
16:29GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Partial Failure
|Pump gearbox failure, still met test objectives.
-
|October 23
01:07GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-26B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|October 23
19:22GMT
|Vanguard Test Article
|LC-18, Cape Canaveral
|US Navy
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|Test first stage of Vanguard rocket
|N/A
|Successful
|Battleship 2nd and 3rd stages.
-
|October 24
16:32GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17A, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|November 3
02:30GMT
|R-7 8K71PS
|LC-1, Baikonur
|RVSN
|Sputnik 2 , 1dog (Laika )
|RVSN
|LEO
|Test effects of spaceflight on a living organism
|April 14 ,1958
|Partial Failure
|First living organism in orbit.
Animal died prior to completion of experiments.
-
|November 13
01:51GMT
|Skylark
|LA-2, Woomera
|RAE/WRE
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|Testsounding rocket Aeronomy experiments
|N/A
|Successful
-
|November 27
02:10GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-26B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Pump failure at T+202 seconds resulted in complete loss of thrust.
-
|December 6
16:44GMT
|Vanguard
|LC-18, Cape Canaveral
|US Navy
|Vanguard 1A
|US Navy
|Intended: LEO
|Demonstrate orbital launch capability
|T+2 seconds
|Failure
|First flight of Vanguard rocket in full configuration.
Lost thrust and exploded on pad.
-
|December 7
22:11GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|December 17
17:39GMT
|Atlas A
|LC-14, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|ICBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-
|December 19
00:07GMT
|Jupiter
|LC-26B, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Failure
|Pump failure at T+116 seconds resulted in complete loss of thrust.
-
|December 19
20:12GMT
|Thor DM-18
|LC-17A, Cape Canaveral
|US Air Force
|(none)
|N/A
|N/A
|IRBM research and development
|N/A
|Successful
-Orbital launch summary
By country
References
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