Home 1961 in Review 1963 in Review
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The First Decade of the Space Age
These four graphs chronicle the evolution of space activities during the first decade, from 3 satellites launched in 1957 to 172 in 1967. There were 1,005 spacecrafts launched during this period. The first graph shows the number of rockets (white) and spacecrafts (green) launched each year. The second graph shows that 60% of all spacecrafts were launched by the United States (blue), and 40% by the Soviet Union (red). The third graph shows that two-thirds of all spacecrafts had military mission (gray), compared to civilian missions (white). And the fourth graph shows that the number of failures (black) stay about the same while the number of successes (whlte) “skyrocketed”.
Overview of 1962: a good 'normal' year
      The year 1962 continues the trend of more spacecrafts launched every year, with 96, 36 more spacecrafts than the previous year. As usual, the United States launched most of them – 70 for itself and, for the first time, a commercial (communications) satellite and a Canadian science satellite (as well a second radio-amateur satellite). Thus, Canada became the third nation to harbor a satellite in space. The Soviet Union, the only other country able to launch spacecrafts, fire 22 of them, more than doubling its previous record. 
          Two-thirds of all spacecrafts had military missions (mainly ‘spy’ Earth surveillance) and one third had civilian missions. In particular, the Soviets orbit their first reconnaissance (‘spy’) satellites, thus joining the Americans in the military use of space. The U.S. launched three Mercury spaceships and the U.S.S.R. a duo of Vostok capsules. The two space powers also launched four planetary probes toward Venus, four other toward Mars and three toward the Moon. The United States also launched the first astronomical satellite (to observe the Sun). 
          Of the 81 rockets launched – 59 Americans and 22 Russians – only 11 failed. In all, 31 spacecraft failed – that amount to one-third of all spacecrafts - which is a good performance compared to previous years. (Coincidentally, from 1961 to 1966, about 25 to 30 spacecrafts were lost each year, even as the number of launches triple, see graph above at right.)
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Note that the word spacecrafts includes satellites (place in Earth orbit), piloted spaceships and planetary probes.
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Overview
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Spacecraft Launched

How many spacecrafts 
were launched?

In 1962, 96 spacecrafts were launched, 36 more than the previous year, and 64 more than the last ten years average.
 
. Year 
1962		 Pre-
vious		 Last
Five
Total 96 +36 +64
. . . .
Civilian 32 +6 +15
Military 64 +30 +49


This graph shows a constant progression in the number of spacecrafts launched since 1958.
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Spacecraft's Nationality

For whom these space-
crafts were launched?

. Year
1962		 Pre-
vious		 Last 
Five
Russian 22 +13 +16
American 70 +20 +44
European 1 +1 n/a
Canadian 1 +1 n/a
Commercial 1 +1 n/a
Amateur 1 = n/a
n/a = not applicable
e
This graph shows that, althugh the large majority of spacecrafts were launched for the United States and the Soviet Union, other sponsors began to appear.
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Failures

How many failure had
occured during the year?

• 11 launches failed 
• 31 satellites were lost

In 1962, 31 of the 96 spacecrafts were lost, about half at launch and half in space.  The United States lost 12 spacecrafts in 6 launch accidents and 12 in space, as the Soviet Union lost 5 rockets et 2 in-space failures. 
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Missions
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Civilian Spacecrafts

For what purpose 32 civilian spacecrafts were launched?

. Number Percent
Exploration: . .
• Piloted Flight 5 5.2%
• Sciences 9 9.4%
• Biology 0 0
• Planetary 11 11.5%
• Astronomy 1 1.0%
Applications: . .
•Communications 2 2.1%
• Meteorology 3 3.2%
R & D: . .
• Amateur 1 1.0%
• Technology 0 0
. . .
Total 32  33.3%
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Military Satellites

For what purpose 64 military satellites were launched?

. Number Percent
Applications: . .
• Surveillance 33 34.4%
• Early Warning 2 2.1%
• Electronic Int. 6 6.3%
• Nuclear Mon. 0 0
• Ocean Survey 0 0
Services: . .
•Communications 0 0
• Navigation 1 1.0%
• Radar Calib. 3 3.2%
• Meteorology 2 2.1%
R & D: . .
• Antisatellite 0 0
• Sci. & Tech. 17 17.7%
. . .
Total 64 66.7%
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Spacecraft Categories

To which categories are
related these spacecrafts?

. Year
1962		 Pre-
vious		 Last
Five
Civilian: . . .
• Exploration 26 +2 +11
• Applications 5 +4 +4
• R & D 1 = =
. . . .
Military: . . .
• Applications 41 +17 +33
• Services 6 +3 +4
• R & D 17 +10 +13
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This graph shows that two-third of the spacecrafts launched in 1962 were for military purpose.
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Launch
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Rockets Launched

How many rockets
were launched?

. Number Percent
Russian 22 27.2%
American 59 72.8%
. . .
Total 81 100%


This graph shows a constant progression in the number of rockets launched.

1957-1962 Summary

USSR USA
Sucessful launches 29 119
Failed launches  22 61
Total launches  51 180
Per cent of success  57% 66%
Mass orbited 69 tons 92 tons
This table shows that the United States had orbited four times as much payload than the Soviet Union (with a 66% rate of success compared to 57%), but not as much tonnage (92 vs. 69 tons).
 
Launch Evolution
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How many rockets were launched compared to previous years?
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. Num-
ber		 Pre-
vious		 Last 
Five
Russian 22 +13 +16
American 59 +14 +35
. . . .
Total 81 +27 +51
Explanation: “In 1962, the United States launched 59 rockets, 13 more than the previous year, and 16 more than the last ten years average.”
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Satellite launched by

Which countries laun-
ched these spacecrafts?

. Number Percent
Russia 22 22.9%
U.S.A. 74 77.1%
. . .
Total 96 100%
Explanation: “In 196, Russia launched of the  spacecrafts, or 4%, launched that year."
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This graph shows that 77% of all spacecrafts launched during 1961 were made by the United States.
© Claude Lafleur, Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2010-2012
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Launcher Ranking (1957-1962)

 
Rank Launcher
(in use)		 Success Failure Total % Success Payload
Carried		 Per Cent 
Pld Car.		 First-Last
Launch
1 Delta 14 1 15 93.3% 15 5.9% 1960-1962
2 Thor 62 19 81 76.5% 100 39.2% 1958-1962
3 B / Kosmos 7 3 10 70.0% 10 3.9% 1961-1962
4 Atlas 24 12 36 66.7$ 41 19.1 1958-1962
5 A / Semiorka 22 19 41 53.7% 41 16.1% 1957-1962
6 Scout 5 5 10 50.0% 10 3.9% 1960-1962
-- Former* 14 24 38 36.8% 38 14.9% 1957-1961
Total 148 83 231 64.1% 255 100%
* Former = launchers no more in use (Vanguard, NOTS and Jupiter).
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1962 Launcher and Payload Scoreboard
Soviet Launches American Launches
Launcher S/F Payload Mass orbited
14 A / Vostok S Kosmos 4 (Zenit) 4,610 kg
F Kosmos (Zenit) (4,610 kg)
S Kosmos 7 (Zenit) 4,610 kg
S Vostok 3 4,722 kg
S Vostok 4 4,728 kg
F* Venera
('Sputnik 19')		 1,097 kg
I,890 kg)
F* Venera
('Sputnik 20)		 1,100 kg
6,500 kg)
F* Venera
('Sputnik 21')		 1,100 kg
(6500 km)
S Kosmos 9 (Zenit) 4,700 kg
S Kosmos 10 (Zenit) 4,700 kg
F* Mars
('Sputnik 22')		 (900 kg)
6,500 kg)
S Mars 1
('Sputnik 23')		 893.5 kg
F* Mars
('Sputnik 24')		 (890 kg)
S Kosmos 12 (Zenit) 4,700 kg
8 B / Kosmos S Kosmos 1 (DS-2) 315 kg
S Kosmos 2 (1MS) 285 kg
S Kosmos 3 (2MS) 330 kg
S Kosmos 5 (2MS) 280 kg
S Kosmos 6 (DS-P1) 355 kg
S Kosmos 8 (DS-K) 337 kg
S Kosmos 11 (DSA1) 315 kg
F Kosmos (1MS) (unknown)
F*: Although these five launches failed, the rocket had deliverred its payload into Earth orbit. (These launchers failed to deliver their payload toward Venus and Mars.)
 
Keys: F = launch failure
S = launch success
brakets () = mass not counted
Launcher S/F Payload Mass orbited
29 Thor F Discoverer 37 (1,150 kg)
F Solrad 4A / GRAB 4
Lofti-2
Injun 2
Secor 1A
Surcal 1A		 (18 kg)
(98.5? kg)
(98.5? kg)
(98.5? kg)
(98.5? kg)
S Ferret 1 1,500 kg
S Discoverer 38 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 39 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 40 1,150 kg
F ANNA 1A (160 kg)
S Discoverer 41 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 42 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 43
OSCAR II		 1,150 kg
10 kg
S Ferret 2 1,500 kg
S Discoverer 44 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 45 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 46 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 47 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 48 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 49 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 50 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 51
ERS 2 / TRS 1		 1,150 kg
91 kg
S Alouette 1
TAVE		 146 kg
unknown
S Discoverer 52 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 53 1,150 kg
S Starad 1 1,100 kg
S ANNA 1B 161 kg
S Discoverer 54 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 55 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 56 1,150 kg
S Black Sphere
Injun 3
Surcal 2
Surcal 1B
Calsphere 1		 23 kg
52 kg
3 kg
32 kg
28 kg
S Discoverer 57 1,150 kg
16 Atlas S Ranger 3 327 kg
S Mercury 6 1,352 kg
S Samos 6 1,860 kg
S Midas 5
Westford		 1,860 kg
[30?] kg
S Ranger 4 331 kg
S Samos 7 1,588 kg
S Mercury 7  1,349.5 kg
S Samos 8 1,860 kg
S Samos 9 1,860 kg
F Mariner 1 (203 kg)
S Samos 10 1,860 kg
S Mariner 2 204 kg
S Mercury 8 1,374 kg
S Ranger 5 242 kg
S Samos 11
TRS 1 / ERS 1		 1,860 kg
(unkonwn)
F Midas 6
TRS 3 / ERS 3
TRS 4 / ERS 4		 2,000 kg
101 kg
(unknown)
9 Delta S Tiros 4 129 kg
S OSO 1 208 kg
S Ariel 1 / UK 1 62 kg
S Tiros 5 129 kg
S Telstar 1 171 kg
S Tiros 6 127.5 kg
S Explorer 14 40 kg
S Explorer 15 44 kg
S Relay 1 170 kg
5 Scout F Solrad 4B / GRAB 4B (91 kg)
S P-35-1 / DAPP 1 91 kg
S P-35-2 / DAPP 2 91 kg
S Explorer 16 101 kg
S Transit 5A1 61 kg
1962 Summary:
15 launch successes in 22 tries (68% success)
36 tons orbited		 53 launch successes in 59 tries (90% success)
49 tons orbited
1957-1962 Summary:
29 launch successes in 51 tries (57% success)
69 tons orbited		 119 launch successes in 180 tries (66% success)
92 tons orbited
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© Claude Lafleur, 2004-2012 Mes sites web: claudelafleur.qc.ca