Mission Luna-2a Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar Impactor Luna E-1 number 5 was a Soviet spacecraft intended to impact the moon but was lost in a launch failure. Location 1/5 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan 1/5 has witnessed the launch of 487 rockets, including 487 orbital launch attempts, while Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan, has […]
Mission Discoverer 3 Type: Government/Top Secret Orbit: Polar Orbit Launch Cost: $10,700,000 The Discoverer 3 reconnaissance satellite failed to reach orbit due to a failure of the Agena A upper stage. Location Space Launch Complex 1W Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA Space Launch Complex 1W has witnessed the launch of 56 rockets, including 56 orbital launch […]
Mission Vanguard Type: Earth Science Orbit: Low Earth Orbit The Vanguard satellite was a 13 inch spherical satellite which contained a precise magnetometer to map the Earth’s magnetic field. The satellite was lost together with the Vanguard Balloon when the Vanguard launch vehicle second stage was damaged during staging. Location Launch Complex 18A Cape Canaveral, […]
Mission Discoverer 2 Type: Government/Top Secret Orbit: Polar Orbit Launch Cost: $10,700,000 Discoverer II successfully reached orbit and took photos of Earth. However, when the capsule with the data was ejected in order to re-enter the atmosphere there was a timer malfunction meaning it seperated too early and landed over the North Pole rather than […]
Mission Pioneer 4 Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar flyby Pioneer 4 was a spin-stabilized spacecraft intended as a lunar probe and successfully performed a fly by of the moon at a height of 58983km. Unfortunately it didn’t come close enough to trigger its photoelectric sensor. Location Launch Complex 5 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Launch Complex […]
Mission Discoverer 1 Type: Government/Top Secret Orbit: Polar Orbit Launch Cost: $10,700,000 Discoverer I was the first of a series of satellites part of the CORONA reconnaissance program. This satellite didn’t take a camera or film system as it was intended as a test. There were issues communicating with the satellite during flight with only […]
Mission Vanguard II Type: Earth Science Orbit: Medium Earth Orbit Vanguard II is an Earth orbiting satellite and the first weather satellite. It was designed to measure cloud-cover distribution over the daylight portion of its orbit for a period of 19 days and to provide information on the density of the atmosphere. Location Launch Complex […]
Mission Luna-1 Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar Impactor Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Earth’s Moon. Intended to be an impactor it was launched as part of the Soviet Luna programme. Due to an incorrectly timed upper stage burn during launch it missed the Moon. Location 1/5 Baikonur Cosmodrome, […]
Mission SCORE Type: Communications Orbit: Low Earth Orbit SCORE or Signal Communications by Orbiting RElay was the world first purpose built communications satellite. It provided a second test of a communications relay system after the first being provided by Pioneer 1. Location Launch Complex 11 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Launch Complex 11 has witnessed the […]
Mission Pioneer 3 Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar flyby Pioneer 3 was a spin-stabilized spacecraft intended as a lunar probe but failed to perform a lunar flyby as planned. Its mission was revised to measure radiation in the outer Van Allen radiation belts. Location Launch Complex 5 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Launch Complex 5 has […]
Mission Luna-1c Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar Impactor Luna E-1 number 3 was a Soviet spacecraft intended to impact the moon but was lost in a launch failure. Location 1/5 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan 1/5 has witnessed the launch of 487 rockets, including 487 orbital launch attempts, while Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan, has […]
Mission Pioneer 2 Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar Orbit Launch Cost: $8,900,000 The third pioneer orbiter, pioneer 2 intended to enter lunar orbit but failed to make orbit when the third stage failed to ignite. Location Space Launch Complex 17A Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Space Launch Complex 17A has witnessed the launch of 145 rockets, […]
Mission Beacon Type: Test Target Orbit: Low Earth Orbit Beacon 1 was a large inflatable satellite of micro-thin plastic covered with aluminium foil. It was designed to be large so that it was easily visible from Earth. Location Launch Complex 5 Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Launch Complex 5 has witnessed the launch of 13 rockets, […]
Mission Luna-1b Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar Impactor Luna E-1 number 2 was a Soviet spacecraft intended to impact the moon, however, was lost in a launch failure. Location 1/5 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan 1/5 has witnessed the launch of 487 rockets, including 487 orbital launch attempts, while Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan, has […]
Mission Pioneer 1 Type: Lunar Exploration Orbit: Lunar Orbit Launch Cost: $8,900,000 The second pioneer orbiter, pioneer 1 intended to enter lunar orbit but missed the Moon after a third stage partial failure. Location Space Launch Complex 17A Cape Canaveral, FL, USA Space Launch Complex 17A has witnessed the launch of 145 rockets, including 145 […]
