1956 in spaceflight

The Jupiter-C sounding rocket made its maiden flight in 1956

This is a list of spaceflight related events which occurred in 1956.

Launches

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Launch site		LSP
	Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
	Remarks
January
19 January	R-11M Zemlya		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	19 January	Unknown
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
20 January	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	20 January	Successful
	Apogee: 132 kilometres (82 mi)
21 January	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
24 January	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
24 January		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 January	Launch failure
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
January	R-11M Zemlya		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test		Unknown
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
February
2 February	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
	Baykal	MVS	Suborbital	Nuclear test	2 February	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi), first launch of a missile carrying a live nuclear warhead
13 February	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	13 February	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
14 February	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	14 February	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
16 February	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	16 February	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
February	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
March
5 March	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	5 March	Successful
	Apogee: 116 kilometres (72 mi)
14 March 08:45	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Chemical release	14 March	Successful
	Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)
23 March	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	23 March	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
28 March	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 March	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
March	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
March	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
April
12 April 02:05	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Chemical release	12 April	Successful
	Apogee: 106 kilometres (66 mi)
16 April	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	16 April	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
17 April	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	17 April	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
May
1 May 22:05	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		1 May	Launch failure
	Apogee: 4 kilometres (2.5 mi)
8 May 14:54	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		8 May	Successful
	Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi)
8 May 15:15	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		8 May	Launch failure
	Apogee: 188 kilometres (117 mi)
15 May	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	15 May	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
16 May 15:40	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		16 May	Launch failure
	Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)
31 May 02:57	R-1E		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological Solar	31 May	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
June
4 June 14:13	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	4 June	Launch failure
	Apogee: 58 kilometres (36 mi)
7 June	Nike-Nike-T40-T55		Wallops Island		NACA
		NACA	Suborbital	Thermodynamics	7 June	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
13 June 20:51	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		13 June	Successful
	Apogee: 138 kilometres (86 mi)
15 June	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	15 June	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
17 June	R-1E		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Biological	17 June	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
18 June 20:42	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		18 June	Successful
	Apogee: 136 kilometres (85 mi)
21 June 18:48	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		21 June	Successful
	Apogee: 146 kilometres (91 mi)
22 June 19:42	Aerobee RTV-N-10		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		22 June	Launch failure
	Apogee: 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)
26 June 18:26	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		26 June	Successful
	Apogee: 111 kilometres (69 mi)
26 June	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	26 June	Successful
	Apogee: 140 kilometres (87 mi)
29 June 19:09	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	29 June	Successful
	Apogee: 264 kilometres (164 mi)
30 June	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	30 June	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
June	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Missile test		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
July
5 July 07:54	Aerobee RTV-N-10c		White Sands LC-35		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital		5 July	Successful
	Apogee: 162 kilometres (101 mi)
6 July 18:00	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	6 July	Successful
	Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
17 July 15:40	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-1		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	17 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
17 July	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	17 July	Successful
	Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)
18 July 15:46	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-2		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	18 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
19 July 15:21	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-3		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	19 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
20 July 19:15	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-4		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	20 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
20 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
20 July		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	20 July	Launch failure
20 July	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	20 July	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
21 July 17:18	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-5		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	21 July	Launch failure
	Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)
22 July 17:57	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-6		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	22 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
24 July 14:07	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-7		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	24 July	Launch failure
	Apogee: 11 kilometres (6.8 mi)
24 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	24 July	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
24 July	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Navy
	HUGO-1	US Navy	Suborbital	Aeronomy	24 July	Successful
	Apogee: 112 kilometres (70 mi)
25 July 15:15	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-8		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	25 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
26 July 15:28	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-9		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	26 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
26 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	26 July	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
27 July 15:30	Deacon Rockoon		USS Colonial, PO-9 LP-10		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Solar	27 July	Successful
	Apogee: 120 kilometres (75 mi)
27 July	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
27 July		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	27 July	Launch failure
28 July	R-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	28 July	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
31 July 00:56	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		31 July	Successful
	Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
July	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
August
3 August 12:56	Aerobee RTV-A-1a		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital		3 August	Launch failure
	Apogee: 2 kilometres (1.2 mi)
8 August 22:00	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	8 August	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
9 August 22:47	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	9 August	Successful
	Apogee: 164 kilometres (102 mi)
18 August	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology	18 August	Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
18 August	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
18 August		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	18 August	Launch failure
23 August	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	23 August	Successful
	Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)
28 August	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	28 August	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
August	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
August	R-5 Pobeda		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Technology		Successful
	Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
September
8 September	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	8 September	Launch failure
	Apogee: 394 kilometres (245 mi)
20 September 06:45	Jupiter-C		Cape Canaveral LC-5		ABMA
		ABMA	Suborbital	REV test	20 September	Successful
	Maiden flight of Jupiter-C, apogee: 1,097 kilometres (682 mi), carried a 39.25 kilograms (86.5 lb) payload^[1]
21 September	Terrapin		Wallops Island		NACA
		NACA	Suborbital	Test flight	21 September	Launch failure
	Apogee: 16 kilometres (9.9 mi), maiden flight of Terrapin
21 September	Terrapin		Wallops Island		NACA
		NACA	Suborbital	Test flight	21 September	Successful
	Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
October
1 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	1 October	Successful
	Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi)
5 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	5 October	Successful
	Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi)
13 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	13 October	Successful
	Apogee: 102 kilometres (63 mi)
18 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	18 October	Successful
	Apogee: 155 kilometres (96 mi)
20 October 22:01	Nike-Cajun		Wallops Island		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	20 October	Successful
	Apogee: 113 kilometres (70 mi)
23 October 08:40	Aerobee AJ10-34		Fort Churchill		US Army
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	23 October	Successful
	Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi), first spaceflight launched from Canadian soil
25 October	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	25 October	Successful
	Apogee: 124 kilometres (77 mi)
27 October 21:24	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-1		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	27 October	Successful
	Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)
31 October	R-11FM Zemlya		B-67, Beloye More		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	31 October	Successful
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
31 October	R-11FM Zemlya		B-67, Beloye More		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	31 October	Successful
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
November
2 November 05:39	Aerobee AJ10-34		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Chemical release	2 November	Successful
	Apogee: 146 kilometres (91 mi)
2 November 18:40	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-2		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 November	Successful
	Apogee: 131 kilometres (81 mi)
4 November 18:54	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-3		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	4 November	Successful
	Apogee: 162 kilometres (101 mi)
5 November 07:50	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Fort Churchill		US Navy
5 November 07:50		NRL	Suborbital	Auroral	5 November	Launch failure
5 November	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	5 November	Successful
	Apogee: 118 kilometres (73 mi)
7 November 15:02	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-4		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	7 November	Successful
	Apogee: 169 kilometres (105 mi)
10 November 15:17	Nike-Cajun		USS Rushmore, AO-14 LP-5		US Air Force/US Navy
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	10 November	Successful
	Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)
15 November 19:32	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Fort Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric	15 November	Successful
	Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
16 November	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	16 November	Successful
	Apogee: 107 kilometres (66 mi)
17 November 16:48	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Fort Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy Solar	17 November	Successful
	Apogee: 209 kilometres (130 mi)
21 November 05:21	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Fort Churchill		US Navy
		NRL	Suborbital	Ionospheric Auroral	15 November	Successful
	Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
23 November	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	23 November	Successful
	Apogee: 143 kilometres (89 mi)
December
3 December	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	3 December	Successful
	Apogee: 125 kilometres (78 mi)
8 December 06:03	Viking		Cape Canaveral LC-18A		US Navy
		ABMA	Suborbital	REV test	8 December	Successful
	Apogee: 203.5 kilometres (126.4 mi)^[2]
11 December	X-17		Cape Canaveral LC-3		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	REV test	11 December	Successful
	Apogee: 144 kilometres (89 mi)
13 December 21:44	Aerobee-150 (Hi)		Holloman LC-A		US Air Force
		US Air Force	Suborbital	Test flight	13 December	Successful
	Apogee: 193 kilometres (120 mi)
20 December	A-1		Kapustin Yar		OKB-1
		MVS	Suborbital	Ionospheric	20 December	Successful
	Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
26 December	R-11FM Zemlya		B-67, Beloye More		OKB-1
		OKB-1	Suborbital	Missile test	26 December	Successful
	Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)

References

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Generic references:

Footnotes

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[1]

[2]

v t e 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

1956 in spaceflight

Contents

Launches

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

References

Footnotes

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