1956 in spaceflight

This is a list of spaceflight related events which occurred in 1956.

The Jupiter-C sounding rocket made its maiden flight in 1956

Launches

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket	Flight number	Launch site		LSP
	Payload (⚀ = CubeSat)	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
	Remarks
January
19 January	R-11M Zemlya		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	19 January	Unknown
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
20 January	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	20 January	Successful
	Apogee: 132 kilometres (82 mi)
21 January	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
24 January	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 January	Launch failure
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-11M Zemlya		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Unknown
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
February
2 February	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
	Baykal	MVS	Suborbital	Nuclear test	2 February	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi), first launch of a missile carrying a live nuclear warhead
13 February	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	13 February	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
14 February	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	14 February	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
16 February	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	16 February	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
February	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
March
5 March	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	5 March	Successful
	Apogee: 116 kilometres (72 mi)
14 March 08:45	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Chemical release	14 March	Successful
	Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)
23 March	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	23 March	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
28 March	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 March	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
March	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
March	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
April
12 April 02:05	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Chemical release	12 April	Successful
	Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)
16 April	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	16 April	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
17 April	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	17 April	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
May
1 May 22:05	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		1 May	Launch failure
	Apogee: 4 kilometres (2.5 mi)
8 May 14:54	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		8 May	Successful
	Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi)
8 May 15:15	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		8 May	Launch failure
	Apogee: 188 kilometres (117 mi)
15 May	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	15 May	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
16 May 15:40	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		16 May	Launch failure
	Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)
31 May 02:57	R-1E		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological Solar	31 May	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
June
4 June 14:13	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	4 June	Launch failure
	Apogee: 58 kilometres (36 mi)
7 June	Nike-Nike-T40-T55		Wallops Island		NACA
		NACA	Suborbital	Thermodynamics	7 June	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
13 June 20:51	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		13 June	Successful
	Apogee: 138 kilometres (86 mi)
15 June	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	15 June	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
17 June	R-1E		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological	17 June	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
18 June 20:42	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		18 June	Successful
	Apogee: 136 kilometres (85 mi)
21 June 18:48	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		21 June	Successful
	Apogee: 146 kilometres (91 mi)
22 June 19:42	Aerobee RTV-N-10		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		22 June	Launch failure
	Apogee: 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)
26 June 18:26	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		26 June	Successful
	Apogee: 111 kilometres (69 mi)
26 June	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	26 June	Successful
	Apogee: 140 kilometres (87 mi)
29 June 19:09	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	29 June	Successful
	Apogee: 264 kilometres (164 mi)
30 June	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	30 June	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
June	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
July
5 July 07:54	Aerobee RTV-N-10c		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		5 July	Successful
	Apogee: 162 kilometres (101 mi)
6 July 18:00	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	6 July	Successful
	Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
17 July 15:40	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-1		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	17 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
17 July	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	17 July	Successful
	Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)
18 July 15:46	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-2		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	18 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
19 July 15:21	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-3		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	19 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
20 July 19:15	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-4		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	20 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
20 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	20 July	Launch failure
20 July	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	20 July	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
21 July 17:18	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-5		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	21 July	Launch failure
	Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)
22 July 17:57	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-6		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	22 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
24 July 14:07	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-7		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	24 July	Launch failure
	Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)
24 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 July	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
24 July	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Navy
	HUGO-1	US Navy	Suborbital	Aeronomy	24 July	Successful
	Apogee: 112 kilometres (70 mi)
25 July 15:15	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-8		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	25 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
26 July 15:28	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-9		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	26 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
26 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	26 July	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
27 July 15:30	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-10		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	27 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
27 July	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	27 July	Launch failure
28 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 July	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
31 July 00:56	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		31 July	Successful
	Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
July	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
August
3 August 12:56	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		3 August	Launch failure
	Apogee: 2 kilometres (1.2 mi)
8 August 22:00	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	8 August	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
9 August 22:47	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	9 August	Successful
	Apogee: 164 kilometres (102 mi)
18 August	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	18 August	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
18 August	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	18 August	Launch failure
23 August	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	23 August	Successful
	Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)
28 August	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	28 August	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
August	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
August	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
September
8 September	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	8 September	Launch failure
	Apogee: 394 kilometres (245 mi)
20 September 06:45	Jupiter-C		Cape Canaveral LC-5		ABMA
		ABMA	Suborbital	REV test	20 September	Successful
	Maiden flight of Jupiter-C, apogee: 1,097 kilometres (682 mi), carried a 39.25 kilograms (86.5 lb) payload[1]
21 September	Terrapin		Wallops Island		NACA
		NACA	Suborbital	Test flight	21 September	Launch failure
	Apogee: 16 kilometres (9.9 mi), maiden flight of Terrapin
21 September	Terrapin		Wallops Island		NACA
		NACA	Suborbital	Test flight	21 September	Successful
	Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
October
1 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	1 October	Successful
	Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi)
5 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	5 October	Successful
	Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi)
13 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	13 October	Successful
	Apogee: 102 kilometres (63 mi)
18 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	18 October	Successful
	Apogee: 155 kilometres (96 mi)
20 October 22:01	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	20 October	Successful
	Apogee: 113 kilometres (70 mi)
23 October 08:40	Aerobee AJ10-34		Churchill		US Army
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	23 October	Successful
	Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi), first spaceflight launched from Canadian soil
25 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	25 October	Successful
	Apogee: 124 kilometres (77 mi)
27 October 21:24	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-1		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	27 October	Successful
	Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)
31 October	R-11FM Zemlya		B-67, Beloye More		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	31 October	Successful
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
31 October	R-11FM Zemlya		B-67, Beloye More		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	31 October	Successful
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
November
2 November 05:39	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Chemical release	2 November	Successful
	Apogee: 146 kilometres (91 mi)
2 November 18:40	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-2		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 November	Successful
	Apogee: 131 kilometres (81 mi)
4 November 18:54	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-3		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	4 November	Successful
	Apogee: 162 kilometres (101 mi)
5 November 07:50	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Auroral	5 November	Launch failure
5 November	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	5 November	Successful
	Apogee: 118 kilometres (73 mi)
7 November 15:02	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-4		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	7 November	Successful
	Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)
10 November 15:17	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-5		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	10 November	Successful
	Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)
15 November 19:32	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	15 November	Successful
	Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
16 November	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	16 November	Successful
	Apogee: 107 kilometres (66 mi)
17 November 16:48	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy Solar	17 November	Successful
	Apogee: 209 kilometres (130 mi)
21 November 05:21	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric Auroral	15 November	Successful
	Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
23 November	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	23 November	Successful
	Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi)
December
3 December	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	3 December	Successful
	Apogee: 125 kilometres (78 mi)
8 December 06:03	Viking		Cape Canaveral LC-18A		US Navy
		ABMA	Suborbital	REV test	8 December	Successful
	Apogee: 203.5 kilometres (126.4 mi)[2]
11 December	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	11 December	Successful
	Apogee: 144 kilometres (89 mi)
13 December 21:44	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	13 December	Successful
	Apogee: 193 kilometres (120 mi)
20 December	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Ionospheric	20 December	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
26 December	R-11FM Zemlya		B-67, Beloye More		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	26 December	Successful
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)

References

Generic references:
 Spaceflight portal

• Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
• Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
• Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
• Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
• Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report".
• McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report".
• Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
• Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
• Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
• Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
• "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
• "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
• "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• "Space Information Center". JAXA.
• "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).

Footnotes

1. "Explorer Information". NASA History Office. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
2. "Early Test Firings". NASA History Office. Archived from the original on 11 November 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.