Home 1958 Spacecraft
1957 Summary 1959 Smmary
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Table of the 28 Spacecrafts Launched in 1958
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# Spacecraft Sponsor Launch Date Class Mission Type Categories
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1) Explorer 1 U.S. ABMA/JPL 1 Feb 58 C-Small Earth/space Sciences USA,
2) Vanguard TV-3bu U.S. Navy (NRL) 5 Feb 58 C-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
3) Explorer 2 U.S. Army (ABMA) 5 Mar 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA, Fail,
4) Vanguard I U.S. Navy (NRL) 17 Mar 58 C-Small
(very)		 Earth/Space Science USA,
5) Explorer 3 U.S. Army (ABMA) 26 Mar 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA,
6) "Sputnik" / Object D #1" Soviet Union (Korolev's OKB-1) 27 Apr 58 C-Large Earth/Space Science USSR, Fail,
7) Vanguard TV-5 U.S. Navy (NRL) 29 Apr 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA, Fail,
8) Sputnik 3 / Object D #2 Soviet Union (Korolev's OKB-1) 15 May 58 C-Large Earth/Space Science USSR,
9) Vanguard SLV-1 U.S. Navy (NRL) 28 May 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA, Fail,
10) Vanguard SLV-2 U.S. Navy (NRL) 26 Jun 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA,
11) NOTS 1 / Pilot 1 U.S. Navy 25 Jul 58 M-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
12) Explorer 4 U.S. DARPA 26 Jul 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA,
13) NOTS 2 / Pilot 2 U.S. Navy 12 Aug 58 M-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
14) Able 1 / "Pioneer 0" U.S. Air Force 17 Aug 58 C-Small Planetary Exploration (1st)
(1st Moon Attempt)		 USA, Fail,
15) NOTS 3 ( Pilot 3 U.S. Navy 22 Aug 58 M-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
16) Explorer 5 U.S. DARPA 24 Aug 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA, Fail,
17) NOTS 4 / Pilot 4 U.S. Navy 25 Aug 58 M-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
18) NOTS 5 / Pilot 5 U.S. Navy 26 Aug 58 M-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
19) NOTS 6 / Pilot 6 U.S. Navy 28 Aug 58 M-Small
(very)		 Technology USA, Fail,
20) "Luna" / Ye-1 #1
 

 

 Soviet Union (Korolev's OKB-1) 23 Sep 58 C-Medium Planetary Exploration (Moon) USSR, Fail,
21) Vanguard SLV-3 U.S. Navy (NRL) 26 Sep 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA, Fail,
22) Able 2 / Pîoneer 1 NASA/U.S. Air Force 11 Oct 58 C-Small Planetary Exploration (Moon) USA,
23) "Luna" / Ye-1 #2 Soviet Union (Korolev's OKB-1) 11 Oct 58 C-Medium Planetary Exploration (Moon) USSR, Fail,,
24) Beacon 1 NASA/U.S. Army 23 Oct 58 C-Small Earth/Space Science USA, Fail,
25) Pioneer 2 U.S. Air Force/NASA 8 Nov 58 C-Small Planetary Exploration (Moon) USA,
26) "Luna" / Ye-1 #3 Soviet Union (Korolev's OKB-1) 4 Dec 58 C-Medium Planetary Exploration (Moon) USSR, Fail,
27) Able 3 / Pioneer 3 NASA & AMBA 6 Dec 58 C-Small
(very)		 Planetary Exploration (Moon) USA, Fail,
28) SCORE / Project Score U.S. DARPA 18 Dec 58 M-Large Technology 
(Data Relay R&D)		 USA,
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Note: Small spacecraft = less than 100 kg; medium spacecraft = less than 1,000 kg; large spacecraft = 1,000 kg and more. (Very small = less than 10 kg; very large = more than 10,000 kg.).

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Table – 1957-58  Launches
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No. .. Soviet 
Success		 Soviet 
failures*		 No.... .. American 
success**		 American 
failures***
1) Sputnik . 1) . Vanguard TV-3
2) Sputnik 2 . 2) Explorer 1 .
3) . Sputnik D #1 3) . Vanguard TV-3bu
4) Sputnik 3 . 4) . Explorer 2
5) . Ye-1 #1 5) Vanguard I. .
6) . Ye-1 #2 6) Explorer 3 .
7) . Ye-1 #3 7) . Vanguard TV-5
8) . Vanguard SLV-1
9) . Vanguard SLV-2
11) Explorer 4 .
11) . Able 1
12) . Explorer 5
14) . Vanguard SLV-3
15) Able 2 / Pîoneer 1 .
15) . Beacon 1
16) . Pioneer 2
17) Pioneer 3 .
18) SCORE .
Total 3 Soviet launch success 4 Soviet launch failures 7 American 
launch success		 11 American launch failures (known*)
42.9 % launch success (3 in 7) 38.9 % launch success (7 in 18)
* . All Soviet failures were unknown at the time; they were revealed only in the 1980s and 1990s.
** Including Able 2 and Pioneer 3 which, although they failed to reach their goal (the Moon), they had provide important scientific information.
*** Does not include the very secretive NOTS program, unknown at the time.
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© Claude Lafleur, 2004-10, 2015 Mes sites web: claudelafleur.qc.ca
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