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
Manned flights
Orbital 3
Suborbital 2
Total travellers 4

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, 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
Generic references:

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "West Ford Needles: Where are They Now?" (PDF). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. NASA. 17 (4). October 2013. 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. 1 2 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
  4. ↑ Butrica, Andrew J. (ed.), "Beyond the Ionosphere: The Development of Satellite Communications", history.nasa.gov, The NASA History Series, NASA
  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: Reuters (published October 23, 1961), p. 12, October 22, 1961, ISSN 0362-4331


Timeline of spaceflight
1940s 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
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