Home 1962 in Review 1964 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 1963

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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 1963, 97 spacecrafts were launched, 1 more than the previous year, and 47 more than the last five years average.
 
. Year 
1963		 Pre-
vious		 Last
Five
Total 97 +1 +47
. . . .
Civilian 20 -12 -3
Military 77 +13 +50


This graph shows that more and more spacecrafts are launched each year, from 1959 to 1963, mostly by the United States.
..

Spacecraft's Nationality

For whom these space-
crafts were launched?

. Year
1963		 Pre-
vious		 Last 
Five
Russian 24 +2 +14
American 72 +2 +32
Commercial 1 +1 +½
..
This graph shows that half of the spacecrafts launched during  were sponsored by Russia and United States or were built by amateur and student.
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Failures

How many failure had
occured during the year?

• x launches failed 
• y satellites were lost
In 196,  rockets failed, a  (with a satellite) and an  (with  satellites onboard). 
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Missions
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Civilian Spacecrafts

For what purpose civilian spacecrafts were launched?

. Number Percent
Exploration: . .
• Piloted Flight 3 3.1%
• Sciences 3 3.1%
• Biology 0%
• Planetary 4 4.1%
• Astronomy 1 1.0%
Applications: . .
•Communications 3 3.1%
• Meteorology 4 4.1%
R & D: . .
• Amateur 0%
• Technology 2 2.1%
. . .
Total 20 20.6%
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Military Satellites

For what purpose  military satellites were launched?

. Number Percent
Applications: . .
• Surveillance 30 30.9%
• Early Warning 3 3.1%
• Electronic Int. 10 10.3%
• Nuclear Mon. 2 2.1%
• Ocean Survey 0%
Services: . .
•Communications 1 1.0%
• Navigation 4 4.1%
• Radar Calib. 1 1.00
• Meteorology 3 3.1%
R & D: . .
• Antisatellite 1 1.0%
• Sci. & Tech. 22 22.7%
. . .
Total 77 77.4%
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Spacecraft Categories

To which categories are
related these spacecrafts?

. Year
1963		 Pre-
vious		 Laet
Five
Civilian: . . .
• Exploration 11 -15 -6
• Applications 7 +5 +5
• R & D 2 +1 +1
. . . .
Military: . . .
• Applications 45 +4 +12
• Services 9 +3 +2½
• R & D 23 +6 +6½
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This graph shows that three-quarter of the spacecrafts launched in were of civilian nature.
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Launch
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Rockets Launched

How many rockets
were launched?

. Number Percent
Russian 24 34%
American 47 66%
. . .
Total 71 100%


This graph shows that only  rockets were launched In 196, compared to  in 196.

1957-1963 Summary

USSR USA
Sucessful launches 44 158
Failed launches  30 68
Total launches  75 226
Per cent of success  59% 70%
Mass orbited 118 tons 134 tons
This table shows that the United States had orbited 3 times more payload than the Soviet Union, and both nations had relatively the same results. In fact, we're beginning to see that USSR had began to close the gap with US (in term of launches).
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 24 +2 +12
American 47 -12 +11
. . . .
Total 71 -10 +15
Explanation: “In 196, Russia launched  rockets, more than the previous year, and more than the last ten years average.”
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Satellite launched by

Which countries laun-
ched these spacecrafts?

. Number Percent
Russia 24 25%
U.S.A. 73 75%
. . .
Total 97 100%
Explanation: “In 196, Russia launched of the  spacecrafts, or 4%, launched that year."
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This graph shows that 40% of all spacecrafts launched during 196 were made by Russian rockets.
© Claude Lafleur, Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2012
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Launcher Ranking (1957-1963)

 
Rank Launcher
(in use)		 Success Failure Total % Success Payload
Carried		 Per Cent 
Pld Car.		 First-Last
Launch
1 Delta 21 1 22 95.5% 22 6.3% 1960-1963
2 Thor 81 22 103 78.6% 136 38.6% 1958-1963
3 Atlas 33 13 46 71.7% 64 18.2% 1958-1963
4 B / Kosmos 11 7 18 61.1% 18 5.1% 1961-1963
5 A / Semiorka 33 24 57 57.9% 57 16.2% 1957-1963
6 Scout 9 8 17 52.9% 17 4.8% 1960-1963
-- Former* 14 24 38 36.8% 38 10.8% 1957-1961
Total 202 99 301 67.1% 352 100%
* Former = launchers no more in use (Vanguard, NOTS and Jupiter).
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1963 Launcher and Payload Scoreboard
Soviet Launches American Launches
Launcher S/F Payload Mass orbited
16 A / 'Vostok' F* Luna
('Sputnik 25')		 420 kg
F Luna (420 kg)
S Kosmos 13 (Zenit) 4,700 kg
S Luna 4
('Sputnik')		 422 kg
(1,422 kg)
S Kosmos 15 (Zenit) 4,720 kg
S Kosmos 16 (Zenit) 4,720 kg
S Kosmos 18 (Zenit) 4,720 kg
S Vostok 5 4,720 kg
S Vostok 6 4,713 kg
F Kosmos (Zenit) (4,700 kg)
S Kosmos 20 (Zenit) 4,720 kg
S Poliot 1 1,400 kg
F* Kosmos 21 (3MV-1)
('Sputnik')		 800 kg
(1,980 kg)
S Kosmos 22 (Zenit) 6,300 kg
F Kosmos (Zenit-2) (4,720 kg)
S Kosmos 24 (Zenit) 4,720 kg
8 B / Kosmos F Kosmos (DS-P1) (unknown)
S Kosmos 14 (Omega) 500 kg
S Kosmos 17 (DS-A1) 322 kg
F Kosmos (DS-MT) (unknown)
S Kosmos 19 (DS-P1) 355 kg
F Kosmos (DS-A1) (unknown)
F Kosmos (DS-A1) (unknown)
S Kosmos 23 (Omega) 347 kg
F*: Although these fwo launches failed, the rocket had deliverred its payload into Earth orbit. (The launchers failed anyway because they were wupposed to deliver their payload toward the Moon and Mars.)
 
Keys: F = launch failure
S = launch success
brakets () = mass not counted
Launcher S/F Payload Mass orbited
22 Thor S Discoverer 58 1,150 kg
S Ferret 3 1,500 kg
F Discoverer 59 (1,500 kg)
F Lanyard-8001
Hitchhiker / P-11 1		 (1,500 kg)
(80 kg)
S Discoverer 60 1,150 kg
F Discoverer 61 (1,500 kg)
S Lanyard 8002 1,500 kg
S Discoverer 62 1,500 kg
S FTV1292
Lofti 2A
Solrad 6A / GRAB
Radose 112
Ferret 130
Surcal 1C-133		  35 kg
26 kg
39 kg
25 kg
unknown
3 kg
S Discoverer 63
Hitchhiker 1		 1,500 kg
86 kg
S Ferret 4 1,500 kg
S Discoverer 64 1,150 kg
S Lanyard 8003 1,500 kg
S Discoverer 65 1,500 kg
S Discoverer 66
LAMPO		 1,000 kg
1 kg
S Discoverer 67 1,150 kg
S Transit 5E 1
Transit 5BN1
APL SN 39		 61 kg
70 kg
unknown
S Discoverer 68
Hitchhiker 2		 1,500 kg
80 kg
S Discoverer 69 1,150 kg
S Discoverer 70 1,150 kg
S "Unidentified"
Transit 5BN2
Transit 5E 3		 unknown
75 kg
53 kg
S Discoverer 71
Hitchhiker 3		 1,500 kg
80 kg
10 Atlas S Midas 7
ERS 5
ERS 6 / TRS 3
DASH 1
Westfort 2		 2,000 kg
1 kg
1 kg
1 kg
 ~30 ? kg
S Mercury 9
Flashlight		 1,376 kg
F Midas 8
TRS 7 / ERS 7
TRS 8		 (2,000 kg)
(unknown)
(unknown)
S KH-7 1 2,000 kg
S Midas 9
TRS 10 / ERS 10
TRS 4 / ERS 9
DASH 2		 2,000 kg
2 kg
2 kg
1 kg
S KH-7 2 2,000 kg
S Vela Hotel 1
Vela Hotel 2
ERS 12 / TRS 5		 220 kg
220 kg
2 kg
S KH-7 3
Subsatellite		 2,000 kg
unknown
S Atlas-Centaur 2 4,620 kg
S KH-7 4 2,000 kg
7 Delta S Syncom 1 39 kg
S Explorer 17 185 kg
S Telstar 2 79 kg
S Tiros 7 135 kg
S Syncom 2 39 kg
S Explorer 18 62 kg
S Tiros 8 119 kg
7 Scout S P-35-3 / DAPP 3 40 kg
F Transit 5A2 (84 kg)
F P-35-4 / DAPP 4 (40 kg)
S Transit 5A3 55 kg
S GRS 99 kg
F P-35-5 / DAPP 5 (40 kg)
S Explorer 19 8 kg
1963 Summary:
15 launch successes in 24 tries (63% success)
49 tons orbited		 39 launch successes in 46 tries (85% success)
41 tons orbited
1957-1963 Summary:
44 launch successes in 75 tries (59% success)
118 tons orbited		 158 launch successes in 226 tries (70% success)
134 tons orbited

 
© Claude Lafleur, 2004-2012 Mes sites web: claudelafleur.qc.ca
196 Launcher and Payload Scoreboard
Soviet Launches American Launches

 
Keys: F = launch failure
S = launch success
brakets () = mass not counted