Discoverer 9 / CORONA 9006 / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #1 ; 1960 1st loss ; 56th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 10th reconnaissance satellite (10th American) ; 38th failure. Ranks: 18th military spacecraft (18th American) : 45th American spacecraft (18th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 4 February 1960 at 18h51UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Barse's LC-75-3-4, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 218 / Agena A 1052). Orbit: None. Mission: First generation low resolution photo surveillance satellite. Launch failed as premature first stage cutoff. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's DISC9 ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

Discoverer 10 / CORONA 9007 / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #2 ; 1960 2nd loss ; 57th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 11th reconnaissance satellite (11th American) ; 39th failure. Ranks: 19th military spacecraft (19th American) : 46th American spacecraft (19th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 19 February 1960 at 20h15 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-5, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 223 / Agena A 1054). Orbit: None. Mission: Destroyed by range safety Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's DISC10 ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

Discoverer 11 / CORONA 9008 / KH-1 Spacecraft: Chronologies: 1960 payload #11 ; 1960-004A ; 65th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 12th reconnaissance satellite (12th American) ; 43rd failure. Ranks: 23rd military spacecraft (23rd American) : 54th American spacecraft (23rd military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 15 April 1960 at 20h30 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-5, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 234 / Agena A 1055). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Film capsule recovery failed. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-004A ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

Korabl Sputnik 1 (Sputnik 1 Spacecraft:  Vostok-1P Chronologies: 1960 payload #14 ; 1960-005A ; 68th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceship test Families: 1st piloted spaceship (1st Soviet) ; 46th failure. Ranks: 46th civilian spacecraft (14th Soviet) ; 14th Soviet spacecraft (14th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) Launch: 15 May 1960 (probably at 0h00 UT), from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-1/"Vostok" (8K72 L1-11). Orbit: Initial : 312 km x 369 km x 65° Later : 307 km x 690 km x 65° (accidentally boosted)  Decayed: 15 October 1965 Mission: The first piloted spaceship ever launched: a 4,540-kg craft (including 2.5 tons capsule) containing a "dummy" spaceman. The primary goal of the mission was to test the basic elements of the vessel, in particular the complex Chayka orientation system, which would put the spacecraft in the proper attitude for reentry. This first Vostok 1 spacecraft was a subvariant designated the 1KP (or Vostok 1P), with the "p" denoting that it was a simple ("prostoy") spacecraft not designed to be recovered from orbit. The spacecraft had no thermal shielding for the spherical descent apparatus and no life support system. Instead of the large ejection seat that would carry a pilot, it carried a mock-up of the contraption to simulate the correct loads. Unlike later Vostok spacecraft, two solar panels shaped like semicircles were installed on a boom heading out forward from the descent apparatus. This system, designated Luch ("ray"), would provide power to the spacecraft as an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of solar power over chemical batteries. Although the vehicle would burn up on reentry, telemetry data would indicate whether the spacecraft had been properly angled. Total spacecraft mass was 4,540 kilograms. As soon as the spacecraft reach orbit, it was simply designated Korabl-Sputnik ("satellite-ship") and there was no indication that the mission had any relevance to a piloted space effort.       Planned to last three or four days, the flight proceeded without incident, with successful tests of the electrical and power source systems. Reentry was scheduled for the early morning of May 19. Prior to the scheduled firing of the TDU-1 engine, the control group detected anomalies in the primary system of attitude control, which used the infrared sensor. Although the system as a whole seemed to be functioning fine, the sensor itself was not responding correctly. On the sixty-fourth orbit. the primary system malfunctioned, and the fourteen thrusters inserted the spacecraft into a wrong attitude. The TDU-1 retrorocket automatically fired on time at 2h52 hours Moscow Time, but instead of reentering the atmosphere, the spaceship was boosted into a higher orbit. Its descent capsule decayed more than five years later.  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-005A;  A Siddiqi, Challenge To Apollo (NASA SP-2000-4408), p. 251-2 ; Sven Grahn's The flight of Sputnik-4 ;

Discoverer 12 / CORONA R&D / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #18 ; 1960 8th loss ; 72nd spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 13th reconnaissance satellite (13th American) ; 48th failure. Ranks: 27th military spacecraft (27th American) : 59th American spacecraft (27th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 29 June 1960 at 22h00 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-4, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 160 / Agena A 1053). Orbit: None. Mission: KH-1 prototype; designed to test capsule recovery system, did not carry camera. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's DISC12 ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

Korabl Sputnik Spacecraft:  Vostok-1 no. 1 Chronologies: 1960 payload #19 ; 1960 9th loss ; 73rd spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceship test Families: 2nd piloted spaceship (2nd Soviet) Ranks: 47th civilian spacecraft (15 Soviet) ; 15th Soviet spacecraft (15th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) ; 49th failure. Launch: 28 July 1960, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-1/"Vostok" (8K72 L1-10). Orbit: None. Mission: Second test of a Vostok 1 manned spacecraft. While having the old set of orientation systems, this spacecraft was far more advanced than its modest predecessor (Korabl Sputnik 1), since it was equipped with an operational life support system and a means of recovery. Two dogs, Chayka and Lisichka, were trained to fly into orbit on board. The test went awry right from the beginning: just nineteen seconds after launch, the booster began "to fork to one side" as a result of a fire and a breakdown of the combustion chamber in one of the strap-on engines (in Blok G). The inert strap-on broke away from the main vehicle, and the booster eventually exploded into pieces 28,5 seconds after lift-off. Although the descent apparatus separated from the stack, the explosion killed both passengers. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ;  A. Siddiqi, Challenge To Apollo (NASA SP-2000-4408), p. 252 ; Sven Grahn's The flight of Sputnik-5, a.k.a. Korabl-Sputnik 2 ;

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Discoverer 13 / CORONA R&D / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #21 ; 1960-008A ; 75th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 14th reconnaissance satellite (14th American) Ranks: 28th military spacecraft (28th American) : 61st American spacecraft (28th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 10 August 1960 at 20h37 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-5, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 231 / Agena A 1057). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: FKH-1 prototype; designed to test capsule recovery system; did not carry camera. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-008A ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

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Echo 1 Spacecraft:  A-11 Chronologies: 1960 payload #22 ; 1960-009A ; 76th spacecraft. Type: Communications Families: 2nd communications satellite (2nd American) Ranks: 49th civilian spacecraft (34th American) : 62nd American spacecraft (34th civilian) Sponsor: NASA Launch: 12 August 1960 at 09h40 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-17A, by a Delta DM-19 (Thor Delta 270 / Delta 2). Orbit: Decayed: Mission:      On 12 August 1963, third birthday of Echo I balloon satellite, world’s first artificial passive communications satellite. The 30-metre inflatable mylar sphere demonstrated use of radio wave reflection for global communications. It was still orbiting the Earth, having traveled some 680 million km, and was still usable for communication.  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-009A ; TRW Space Log ; Astronautical Events of 1963, p.  305

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Discoverer 14 / CORONA 9009 / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #23 ; 1960-010A ; 77th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 15th reconnaissance satellite (15th American) Ranks: 29th military spacecraft (29th American) : 63rd American spacecraft (29th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 18 August 1960 at 19h57 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-4, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 237 / Agena A 1056). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: First successful photosurveillance mission : film capsule recovered 1.2 days after launch. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-010A ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

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Courier 1A Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #24 ; 1960 11th loss ; 78th spacecraft. Type: Experimental communications Families 1st military communications satellite (1st American) ; 51st failure. Ranks: 30th military spacecraft (30th American) : 64th American spacecraft (30th military) Sponsor: United States' DARPA Launch: 18 August 1960 at 19h58 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-17B, by a Thor-Able-Star (262 AB004?). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's COUR1A ; TRW Space Log ;

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Korabl Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) Spacecraft:  Vostok-1 no. 2 Chronologies: 1960 payload #25 ; 1960-011A ; 79th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceship test Families: 4th piloted spaceship (3rd Soviet) Ranks: 50th civilian spacecraft (16th Soviet) ; 16th Soviet spacecraft (16th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) (Artwork: Robert Giguère) Launch: 19 August 1960 at 8h44 UTC, from Baykonur LC-1, by an A-1/"Vostok" (8K72 L1-12). Orbit: 297 km x 324 km x 65.0° or 306 km x 339 km x 64.96° Recovered: 20 August 1960 at 11h02 UTC Mission: Thirs testflight of the Vostok spaceship wiht a 4,600-kg craft. This third Vostok 1 test carried two dogs, Beika and Strelka, along with numerous other biological specimens. The pressurized cabin contained twelve mice, insects, plants, fungi, cultures, seeds of corn, wheat, peas, onions, microbes, strips of human skin and other specimens. In addition, there were twenty-eight mice and two white rats outside the ejection seat, but within the descent apparatus. Two internal TV cameras provided views of the dogs during the spaceflight. The spacecraft itself was fully equipped with a functioning catapult, a life support system, and parachutes. Its total mass in orbit was about 4,600 kilograms.      Upon successfully entering orbit, the spacecraft was named the "Second Korabl-Sputnik". Throughout the one-day mission, doctors continuously monitored the medical condition of the dogs while various parameters of the life support system were given a rigorous workout. The biomedical support group was able to observe the reactions of the dogs while in flight. The pictures coming back were not encouraging: initially, the dogs appeared deathly still, and without the incoming data stream on their life signs, it would have been impossible to tell if they were alive or not. Later, they became more animated, but their movements seemed convulsive. Belka squirmed and finally vomited on the fourth orbit. A number of scientific experiments were carried out during the mission, including those for the detection of cosmic rays and the monitoring of high-energy emissions in the ultraviolet and x-ray wave lengths.      Telemetry showed that the infrared orientation system had failed (as with Korabl-Sputnik 1). Engineers recommended using the backup solar orientation system. The latter performed without any anomalies on the spacecraft's eighteenth orbit, and the descent apparatus successfully entered Earth's atmosphere at the correct angle. The catapult system operated on schedule and ejected the cabin with the dogs in the mock-up of the ejection seat. The cabin landed safely by parachute only ten kilometers from the designated point of touchdown in the Orsk region in Kazakhstan after a one-day, two-hour spaceflight. Belka and Strelka thus became the first living beings recovered from orbit. The spacecraft itself was only the second object retrieved from orbit. the American Discoverer 13 had preempted Korabl-Sputnik 2 by nine days. Doctors found both dogs in good condition despite the concerns during the mission. Extensive physiological tests proved that there had been no fundamental changes in their health. This flight verified almost all the primary elements of the spacecraft design. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-011A ; TRW Space Log ; A. Siddiqi, Challenge To Apollo (NASA SP-2000-4408), p. 253-4 ;; Sven Grahn's The flight of Sputnik-5, a.k.a. Korabl-Sputnik 2 ;

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Discoverer 15 / CORONA 9010 / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #26 ; 1960-012A ; 80th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 16th reconnaissance satellite (16th American) ; 52nd failure. Ranks: 31st military spacecraft (31st American) : 65th American spacecraft (31st military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 13 September 1960 at 22h14 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-5, by a Thor-Agena A (Thor 246 / Agena A 1058). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Film capsule lost at sea. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-012A ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

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Pioneer P-30 Spacecraft:  P-30 / Able VA (Atlas Able 5) Chronologies: 1960 payload #27 ; 1960 12th loss ; 80th spacecraft. Type: Lunar probe Families: 17th planetary probe (8th American) ; 53rd failure. Ranks: 51st civilian spacecraft (35th American) : 66th American spacecraft (35th civilian) Sponsor: NASA / U.S. Air Force Launch: 25 September 1960 at 15h13 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-12, by an Atlas-Able VA (Atlas D 80D / Able-5). Orbit: None Mission: This Pioner P-30 / Able VA had a slightly different instrument complement from that of its predecessor (Pioneer P-3), but it had similar mission goals. The 175.5-kg probe was to enter lunar orbit about 62.5 hours after launch with parameters of 4,000 x 2,250 kilometers in a period of 10 hours. Although the first stage performed without problems during the launch, the Able second stage ignited abnormally and shut down early because of an oxidizer system failure. The third stage never fired, and the probe burned up in Earth’s atmosphere 17 minutes after launch. Although the mission was a failure, ground controllers fired Able VA’s onboard liquid propellant hydrazine rocket engine – the first time that an onboard motor was fired on a space vehicle. Later, on 15 November 1960, NASA announced that two objects from the Able VA payload had been found in Transvaal, South Africa. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's PIONY ; TRW Space Log ; A. Siddiqi, SP-2002-4524, p. 26 ;

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Courier 1B Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #28 ; 1960-013A ; 82nd spacecraft. Type: Experimental communications Families: 2nd military communications satellite (2nd American) Ranks: 32nd military spacecraft (32nd American) : 67th American spacecraft (32nd military) Sponsor: United States' DARPA Launch: 4 October 1960 at 19h58 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-17B, by a Thor-Able-Star (Thor Ablestar 293 AB005). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-013A ; TRW Space Log ;

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Mars Spacecraft:  1M no. 1 Chronologies: 1960 payload #29 ; 1960 13th loss ; 83rd spacecraft. Type: Mars probe Families: 18th planetary probe (10th Soviet) ; 54th failure. Ranks: 52nd civilian spacecraft (17th Soviet) ; 17th Soviet spacecraft (17th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) Launch: 10 October 1960 at 14h28 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-2-e/"Molniya" (8K78 L1-4M). Orbit: None. Mission: This was the first attempt by humans to send spacecraft to the vicinity of Mars and was the first of two Soviet Mars spacecraft intended to fly past Mars. (The Mars flyby was planned for 13 May 1961.) The 480-kg spacecraft initially included a TV imaging system and a spectro-reflectometer (to detect organic life on Mars), but mass constraints forced engineers to remove both instruments a week before launch. The mission profile called for the probe to first enter Earth orbit and then use a new fourth stage (called “Blok L”) to gain enough additional velocity to fly to a Mars encounter. During the launch, violent vibrations caused a gyroscope to malfunction. As a result, the booster began to veer from its planned attitude, the guidance system failing at 309 seconds, and the third-stage engine was shut down after the trajectory deviated to a pitch of greater than 7 degrees. The payload eventually burned up in Earth’s atmosphere over eastern Siberia.  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's MARSNIK1 ; TRW Space Log ; A. Siddiqi, SP-2002-4524, p. 26 ;

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Samos 1 Spacecraft:  Program 101; SAMOS E-1 / Satellite and Missile Observation Satellite Chronologies: 1960 payload #30 ; 1960 14th loss ; 84th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 17th reconnaissance satellite (17th American) ; 55th failure. Ranks: 33rd military spacecraft (33rd American) : 68th American spacecraft (33rd military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 11 October 1960 at 20h33 UTC, from Vandenberg Aiur Force Base's LC-1-1, by an Atlas-Agena A (Atlas LV-3A 57D / Agena A 2101). Orbit: None. Mission: The SAMOS 1 payload had a mass of 1860 kg including the Agena. It was probably a Program 101 flight and carried the E-1 camera Component Test Payload and F-1 ferret research and development test payload. an Agena failure meant it did not reach orbit. Launch: The Atlas guidance system failed but the Atlas flew successfully. However, at launch an Agena umbilical failed to separate cleanly and the nitrogen attitude control gas leaked out, so that Agena could not be stabilized after separation and fired in the wrong direction.  Notes: The SAMOS satellite system was part of the WS-117L initial military satellite program. It tested visual surveillance (real time radio readout of scanned photographs), film recovery and ferret electronic intelligence. The original SAMOS, Program (or Project) 101, consisted of an Agena A and carried the E-1 0.15-meter focal length strip camera and an F-1 ferret payload. E-1 was a component test payload. Some documents indicate that the F-1 was a separate payload, possibly a subsatellite, but it seems more likely that it remained attached to the Agena. Three Program 101 satellites were built and two were launched. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's SAMOS1 ; TRW Space Log ; Jonathan McDowell's USAF imaging programs' 9.3.1: SAMOS & SAMOS 1 ;

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Mars Spacecraft:  1M no. 2 Chronologies: 1960 payload #31 ; 1960 15th loss ; 85th spacecraft. Type: Mars probe Families: 19th planetary probe (11th Soviet) ; 56th failure. Ranks: 53rd civilian spacecraft (18th Soviet) ; 18th Soviet spacecraft (18th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) Launch: 14 October 1960 at 13h51 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-2-e/"Molniya" (8K78 L1-5M). Orbit: None. Mission: Like its predecessor, this spacecraft never reached Earth orbit. During the launch trajectory, there was a failure in the third-stage engine 290 seconds into the launch as a result of frozen kerosene in the pipeline feeding its turbopump (which prevented a valve from opening). The third and fourth stages, along with the 480-kg probes, burned up over Earth’s atmosphere over eastern Siberia. (The Mars flyby had been planned for 15 May 1961.)  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's MARSNIK2 ; TRW Space Log ; A. Siddiqi, SP-2002-4524, p. 27 ;

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The Nedelin Catastrophe       On 24 October 1960, a major disaster happen at the Baykonur Comodrome, killing more than a hundred of personnel, including one of the most important figures of the Soviet missile and space programs. The tragedy was first heard of in the West in the 1970s and since it had happened during a period favorable to launch Mars probes, it was considered a major blow to the Soviet space program. It was only in the 1990s that the full account was revealed (and the fact that it had nothing to do with Mars exploration). Here what had happened.      Numerous important officials were at Baykonur to witness the first launch of the R-16 ICBM which, when it will become operational, will finally give the Soviet Union an active and large-scale strategic deterrent against the United States. Since the R-16 was fueled by storable hypergolic and highly toxic propellants, there had been much difficulty prior to launch, especially in fueling procedures, which caused great consternation at the site. The first launch was originally set for October 23, but a major propellant leak that evening forced a postponement to the next day.       On the orders of the State Commission, all repairs to the missile were carried out in a fully fueled state, creating a remarkably dangerous situation at the pad. The repairs were successfully completed through the night, and all prelaunch operations proceeded as planned, until thirty minutes prior to the set launch time on October 24. At this point, there were still approximately 200 officers, engineers and soldiers near the pad, including Marshal Nedelin, the Strategic Missile Forces Commander-in-Chief, who scoffed at suggestions that he leave the pad area. "What's there to be afraid of? Am I not an officer?," he was reported to have asked.        But suddenly, the missile exploded on the pad, releasing an expanding inferno of destruction around the pad area. Within seconds, the rocket broke in half and fell on the pad, crushing any one who might have still been left alive. At that point, the fire and the heat increased in intensity as all the propellants ignited in a crescendo. Some people were simply engulfed in the fire, while others who managed to run in a burning state succumbed to the toxic gases withing minutes.       Technicians remained hanging from their harness from special cranes as their bodies burned. As the temperature raged to around 3,000 degrees, people just simply melted in the firestorm, many being reduced to ashes, Nedelin himself was identified only by his Gold Star medal attached to his uniform. All told, 126 individuals died in the blast, including senior military officials, deputy chief designers and numerous soldiers. The entire incident was kept under tight wraps, and Marshal Nedelin was said to have died in an aircraft accident, a piece of fiction that the Soviets officially maintained until early 1989.      Investigation revealed that the failure had occurred when the second stage of the R-16 had spuriously started firing on the pad because of a control system failure, thus igniting the propellants in the first stage.  Source: A. Siddiqi, Challenge To Apollo (NASA SP-2000-4408), p. 256-7.

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Discoverer 16 / CORONA 9011 / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #32 ; 1960 16th loss ; 86th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 18th reconnaissance satellite (18th American) ; 57th failure. Ranks: 34th military spacecraft (34th American) : 69th American spacecraft (34th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 26 October 1960 at 20h26 UTC, from Vandenberg LC75-3-4, by a Thor-Agena B (Thor 253 / Agena B 1061). Orbit: None. Mission: Launch failed, as second stage failed to separate. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's DISC16 ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

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Explorer 8 Spacecraft: NASA S-30 Chronologies: 1960 payload #33 ; 1960-014A ; 87th spacecraft. Type: Easth/space science Families: 26th science & technology satellite (24th American) Ranks: 54th civilian spacecraft (36th American) : 70th American spacecraft (36th civilian) Sponsor: NASA Launch: 3 November 1960 at 05h23 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-26B, by a Juno II (RTV 13, AM-19D). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-014A ; TRW Space Log ;

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Discoverer 17 / CORONA 9012 / KH-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #34 ; 1960-015A ; 88th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 19th reconnaissance satellite (19th American) Ranks: 35th military spacecraft (35th American) : 71st American spacecraft (35th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 12 November 1960 at 20h43 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-5, by a Thor-Agena B (Thor 297 / Agena B 1062). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Film capsule recovered 2.1 days after launch. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-015A ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

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MR-1 / Mercury-Redstone 1 Spacecraft:  Spacecraft no. 2 Chronologies: 1960 payload #35 ; 1960 17th loss ; 89th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceship test Families: 5th piloted spaceship (2nd American) ; 58th failure. Ranks: 55th civilian spacecraft (37th American) : 72nd American spacecraft (37th civilian) Sponsor: NASA Launch: 21 November 1960, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-05, by a Redstone. Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's MERCR1 ; TRW Space Log ;

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Tiros 2 Spacecraft:  Tiros B (A-2) / Television and InfraRed Observation Satellite Chronologies: 1960 payload #36 ; 1960-016A ; 90th spacecraft. Type: Meteorology Families: 2nd meteo satellite (2nd American) Ranks: 56th civilian spacecraft (38th American) : 73rd American spacecraft (38th civilian) Sponsor: NASA Launch: 23 November 1960 at 11h12 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-17A, by a Delta (Thor Delta 245 / Delta 3). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-002B ; TRW Space Log ;

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Transit 3A Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #37 ; 1960 18th loss ; 91st spacecraft. Type: Navigation Families: 4th navigation satellite (4th American) ; 59th failure. Ranks: 36th military spacecraft (36th American) : 74th American spacecraft (36th military) Sponsor: U.S. Navy Launch: 30 November 1960 at 19h50 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-17B, by a Thor-Able-Star (Thor Ablestar 283 AB006). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's TRAN3 ; TRW Space Log ;

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Solrad 2 Spacecraft:  SR 2 / GRAB 2 Chronologies: 1960 payload #38 ; 1960 19th loss ; 92nd spacecraft. Type: Sun studies Families: 10th military science & technology satellite (10th American) ; 60th failure. Ranks: 37th military spacecraft (37th American) : 75th American spacecraft (37th military) Sponsor: U.S. Navy Launch: 30 November 1960 at 19h50 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-17B, by a Thor-Able-Star (Thor Ablestar 283 AB006). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's SRAD2 ; TRW Space Log ;

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Korabl Sputnik 3 Spacecraft:  Vostok-1 no. 3 Chronologies: 1960 payload #39 ; 1960-017A ; 93rd spacecraft. Type: Pilotes spacecraft test Familie: 6th piloted spaceship (4th Soviet) ; 61st failure. Ranks: 57th civilian spacecraft (19th Soviet) ; 19th Soviet spacecraft (19th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) (Artwork: Robert Giguère) Launch: 1st December 1960 at 7h26 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-1/"Vostok" (8K72 L1-13). Orbit: 180 km x 249 km x 64.95° Destroyed: 2 December 1960 Mission: The fourth Vostok 1 spacecraft, called the Third Korabl-Sputnik in the Soviet press, was identical to the ship launched in August, save for the omission of the infrared orientation system that had been the source of so many problems on the previous missions. The spacecraft was launched without incident and placed into an orbit exactly mimicking the one planned at the time for an actual piloted mission. Aboard were two dogs, Pchelka and Mushka. Total mass in orbit was 4,563 kilograms. There was apparently improved biomedical instrumentation on board, as well as a different set of instruments for cosmic and radiation studies.      The flight went well, and there were twelve successful communications sessions for telemetry reception. After about twenty-four hours in orbit, on the seventeenth orbit, the main TDU-1 engine was to fire to initiate reentry. Unfortunately, there was a malfunction in the stabilization system of the engine; the resulting firing was far shorter than had been planned. Although the spacecraft would still reenter, computations showed that the landing would overshoot Soviet territory. The spacecraft made one and a half more orbits, after which the descent apparatus with the dogs separated from the rest of the vehicle.       At this point, a special and unusual system was called into operation, one that was installed to address this precise situation: given the extreme secrecy and xenophobia of the missile and space programs, the only option for designers was to install a self-destruct system aboard the vehicle to destroy the "evidence" before recovery by non-Soviet parties. (Mercifully, such a system was only earmarked for the Vostok precursor missions and not for any actual piloted craft.) In the case of Korabl-Sputnik 3, the system went into operation at the beginning of reentry and destroyed the spacecraft along with its hapless passengers. At the time, the Soviet press merely announced that because of the incorrect attitude, the descent apparatus had burned up on reentry. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-017A ; TRW Space Log ; A. Siddiqi, Challenge To Apollo (NASA SP-2000-4408), p. 259 ;

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Explorer S-56 Spacecraft:  NASA S-56 Chronologies: 1960 payload #40 ; 1960 20th loss ; 94th spacecraft. Type: Easth/space science Families: 27th science & technology satellite (25th American) ; 62nd failure. Ranks: 58th civilian spacecraft (39th American) : 76th American spacecraft (39th civilian) Sponsor: NASA Launch: 4 December 1960 at 21h14 UTC, from Wallops Island's LA-3, by a Scout X-1 (ST-3). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Launch: First launch of a Scout rocket. Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's EXS-56 ; TRW Space Log ;

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Discoverer 18 / CORONA 9013 / KH-2 Spacecraft: Chronologies: 1960 payload #41 ; 1960-018A ; 95th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Families: 20th reconnaissance satellite (20th American) Ranks: 38th military spacecraft (38th American) : 77th American spacecraft (38th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 7 December 1960 at 20h20 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-4, by a Thor-Agena B (Thor 296 / Agena B 1103). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Film capsule recovered 3.1 days after launch. Analysis of six photographic emulsion blocks carried aloft by Discoverer 18 revealed that inner Van Allen radiation belt dips as low as  290 kilometres. Thus manned space operations would probably be restricted to lower latitudes rather than high inclination orbits because it is not feasible to shield against the energetic protons of the inner belt with present payload limitations.  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-018A ;; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :  NASA, Aeronautical and Astronautical Events of 1962, p. 111 ;

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Pioneer P-31 Spacecraft:  P-31 / Able VB (Atlas Able 5B) Chronologies: 1960 payload #42 ; 1960 21st loss ; 96th spacecraft. Type: Lunar probe Families: 20th planetary probe (9th American) ; 63rd failure. Ranks: 59th civilian spacecraft (40th American) : 78th American spacecraft (40th civilian) Sponsor: NASA / U.S. Air Force Launch: 15 December 1960 at 9h10 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-12, by an Atlas Able (Atlas D 91D / Able-5). Orbit: None. Mission: This was third and last attempt by NASA to launch a probe to orbit the Moon in the 1959-60 period. Able VB mission, as with Pioneer 5 and Pioneer P-30, was to enter lunar orbit. Scientific objectives included studying radiation near the Moon, recording the incidence of micrometeoroids and detecting a lunar magnetic field. Planned lunar orbital parameters were 4,300 x 2,400 kilometers with a period of 9 to 10 hours. The spacecraft had a slightly different scientific instrument complement from that of its predecessors. Unfortunately, the Atlas-Able booster exploded 68 seconds after launch at an altitude of about 12.2 kilometers. Later investigation indicated that the cause was premature Able stage ignition while the first stage was still firing.  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's PIONZ ; TRW Space Log ; A. Siddiqi, SP-2002-4524, p. 27 ;

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MR-1A / Mercury-Redstone 1A Spacecraft:  Spacecraft no. 2A Chronologies: 1960 payload #43 ; n/a ; 97th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceship test Families: 7th piloted spaceship (3rd American) Ranks: 60th civilian spacecraft (41st American) : 79th American spacecraft (41st civilian) Sponsor: NASA Launch: 9 December 1960, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-05, by a Redstone. Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's MERCR1A ; TRW Space Log ;

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Discoverer 19 / CORONA RM 1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 1960 payload #44 ; 1960-019A ; 98th spacecraft. Type: Technology Families: 11th military science & technology satellite (11th American) Ranks: 39th military spacecraft (39th American) : 80th American spacecraft (39th military) Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 20 December 1960 at 20h32 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's LC-75-3-5, by a Thor-Agena B (Thor 258 / Agena B 1101). Orbit: Decayed: Mission: Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's 1960-019A ; TRW Space Log ; NRO's Corona : JPL's Corona :

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Korabl Sputnik Spacecraft:  Vostok-1 no. 4 Chronologies: 1960 payload #45 ; 1960 22nd loss ; 99th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceship test Families: 8th piloted spaceship (5th Soviet) ; 64th failure. Ranks: 61st civilian spacecraft (20th Soviet) ; 20th Soviet spacecraft (20th Soviet) Sponsor: Soviet Union (Korolev's Design Bureau) Launch: 22 December 1960, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-1/"Vostok" (8K72K). Orbit: None Recovered: 22+ December 1960 Mission: The fifth Vostok 1 spacecraft was identical to the ship launched three weeks earlier, except for some minor modifications of the TDU-1 braking engine. Also, there was a slightly change in the booster-spacecraft stack: all earlier Korabl-Sputnik missions had used the 8K72 launch vehicle, but this flight would be the first to use a slightly modified variant designated the 8K72K, which substituted the RD-0109 (just over five and a half tons) for the RD-0105 (just over five tons) as the third orbital insertion stage. The nominally increased thrust wouid allow a slightly higher mass planned for the piloted variant.       At launch, the first two stages of the 8K72K booster performed without fault, but the new third stage engine prematurely cut off at 425 seconds into the lift off because of the destruction of the gas generator in the engine. The emergency escape system went into operation, and the spacecraft successfully separated as its flight trajectory described an arc across the Soviet Union. The payload reached an altitude of 214 kilometers and landed about 3,500 kilometers downrange from the launch site in one of the most remote and inaccessible areas of Siberia, in the region of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River close to the impact point of the famed Tunguska meteorite.       By the late hours of December 22, rescue forces began to detect signals from the descent apparatus and a search party was dispatched to try and locate the capsule. The rescue mission turned out to be one of the most harrowing episodes of the time. Once the rescue group was dropped at the general area of the landing site two days late on December 24, but they found themselves in waist-deep snow. By having aircraft fly in the direction of the object, they managed to reach the capsule. Once the team found the spacecraft, they had to approach it with extreme care because the emergency explosive system was to automatically detonate the vehicle sixty hours after landing. By the time they reached the spacecraft, it had already been sixty hours, but the capsule had still not exploded, forcing them to disengage the explosive in minus-forty-degree Centigrade temperatures. They later discovered that the cabling in the explosive system had burned through, neutralizing the bomb. Although both hatches on the descent apparatus had been discarded, the ejection seat had remained within the spherical capsule instead of ejecting out with the dogs. (Later investigation showed that during ejection, the seat had slammed into the side of the exit porthole and remained within the spacecraft.) The dogs were finally taken out of the capsule, a little cold but alive, and flown to safety, arriving in Moscow on December 26.       Bringing the descent apparatus itself back to Moscow proved to be much more difficult as they used a variety of strategies to literally drag the capsule through kilometers of snow. At one point, the recovery team had to terminate all rescue operations and spend the night in the middle of the ice and snow when the temperature dropped to minus sixty-two degrees Centigrade. It was the first week of January 1961 before the vehicle finally arrived in Moscow.      An analysis of the launch abort showed that there were a number of major anomalies on the mission. Following the booster third-stage failure, the Vostok 1 craft was to separate into its component descent apparatus and instrument section modules. This never happened. The two capsules severed their connections only because of the thermal heating on reentering the atmosphere. Furthermore, the ejection seat was to have shot out of the capsule two and a half seconds after the hatch was jettisoned: on this mission, both events occurred simultaneously, causing the craft to deform from the shock of the failed ejection. Then there was the fortuitous failure in the self-destruct system.  Source: Jonathan McDowell's Master List ; Mark Wade’s Encyclopedia Astronautica ; National Space Science Data Center's Master Catalog ; TRW Space Log ;  A. Siddiqi, Challenge To Apollo (NASA SP-2000-4408), p. 259-260 ;