1963 in spaceflight

For launches in the first half of the year, see 1963 in spaceflight (January–June), for launches in the second half, see 1963 in spaceflight (July–December)

1963 in spaceflight

A North American X-15 made two suborbital flights in July and August, becoming the first reusable spacecraft
Orbital launches
First	4 January
Last	21 December
Total	70
Successes	50
Failures	17
Partial failures	3
Catalogued	55
Rockets
Maiden flights	Atlas LV-3A Agena-D Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B Polyot 11A59 Scout X-2B Scout X-3M Scout X-4 Thor DSV-2A Ablestar TAT SLV-2A Agena-B TAT SLV-2A Agena-D Voskhod 11A57
Retirements	Atlas LV-3B Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B Scout X-2B Scout X-2M Scout X-3M
Crewed flights
Orbital	3
Suborbital	2
Total travellers	4
v t e

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

Deep space rendezvous

Date (GMT)	Spacecraft	Event	Remarks
5 April	Luna 4	Flyby of the Moon	Failed lander, closest approach: 8,336 kilometres (5,180 mi)
19 June	Mars 1	First flyby of Mars	Closest approach: 193,000 kilometres (120,000 mi), communications system failed before flyby

Notable creations of orbital debris

Date/Time (UTC)	Source object	Event type	Pieces tracked	Remarks
9 May[1]	Westford-2	Communications experiment	46[1]	As part of an experiment to facilitate international telecommunications, the US Military deployed an artificial space ring consisting of hundreds of millions of tiny copper needles[2] which would act as antennas reflecting radio signals at the target wavelength of 8 GHz. A large proportion of the needles were not dispersed properly and remained stuck in clumps that were discovered and tracked by the SSN between 1966 and 1991. As of October 2013^[update], 46 of the 144 detected debris clumps remain in orbit.[1] The needles that were properly dispersed are believed to have decayed.[1] This event prompted international protests[3][4][5][6] and influenced the drafting of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.[3]

Orbital launch summary

By country

		Soviet Union   United States
Orbital launch attempts by country in 1963

Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Soviet Union	24	15	9	0
United States	46	35	8	3

By rocket

Rocket	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Atlas LV-3A Agena-B	United States	3	1	1	1
Atlas LV-3A Agena-D	United States	5	5	0	0	Maiden flight
Atlas LV-3B	United States	1	1	0	0	Retired
Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B	United States	1	1	0	0	Only flight
Delta B	United States	6	6	0	0
Delta C	United States	1	1	0	0
Kosmos-2I 63S1	Soviet Union	8	4	4	0
Molniya 8K78	Soviet Union	1	0	1	0
Molniya-L 8K78L	Soviet Union	3	1	2	0	Maiden flight
Polyot 11A59	Soviet Union	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Scout X-2B	United States	1	0	1	0	Only flight
Scout X-2M	United States	1	0	1	0	Retired
Scout X-3	United States	2	0	1	1
Scout X-3M	United States	1	1	0	0	Only flight
Scout X-4	United States	2	1	0	1	Maiden flight
Thor DSV-2A Ablestar	United States	2	2	0	0	Maiden flight
Thor DM-21 Agena-B	United States	1	1	0	0
Thor SLV-2 Agena-D (Thor DM-21 Agena-D)	United States	8	6	2	0	Redesignated midyear
Thrust Augmented Thor SLV-2A Agena-B	United States	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Thrust Augmented Thor SLV-2A Agena-D	United States	10	8	2	0	Maiden flight
Voskhod 11A57	Soviet Union	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Vostok-K 8K72K	Soviet Union	2	2	0	0
Vostok-2 8A92	Soviet Union	8	6	2	0

By orbit

Orbital regime	Launches	Achieved	Not Achieved	Accidentally Achieved	Remarks
Low Earth	57	44	13	2
Medium Earth	5	4	1	0
High Earth	5	3	2	0	Including Highly elliptical orbits
Geosynchronous/transfer	2	2	0	0
Heliocentric	1	0	1	0

References

• Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
• Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
• Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.^{[dead link‍]}
• Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
• Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
• McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
• 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.^{[dead link‍]}
• "Space Information Center". JAXA.^{[dead link‍]}
• "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).

Generic references:

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Footnotes

1. "West Ford Needles: Where are They Now?" (PDF). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. 17 (4). NASA. October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
2. Shapiro, I. I.; Jones, H. M.; Perkins, C.W. (May 1964), "Orbital properties of the West Ford dipole belt", Proceedings of the IEEE, 52 (5): 469–518, doi:10.1109/proc.1964.2992
3. Terrill Jr., Delbert R. (May 1999), "The Air Force Role in Developing International Outer Space Law" (PDF), Air Force History and Museums Program, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press: 63, archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2018, retrieved 13 February 2016
4. Butrica, Andrew J. (ed.), "Beyond the Ionosphere: The Development of Satellite Communications", history.nasa.gov, The NASA History Series, NASA, archived from the original on 25 December 2017, retrieved 12 July 2017
5. Bondi, H. (June 1962), "West Ford Project, Introductory Note by the Secretary", Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 3: 99, Bibcode:1962QJRAS...3...99.
6. "Protests Continue Abroad", The New York Times, London (published 23 October 1961), p. 12, 22 October 1961, ISSN 0362-4331