1963 in spaceflight

For launches in the first half of the year, see 1963 in spaceflight (January–June), for launches in the second half, see 1963 in spaceflight (July–December)

1963 in spaceflight
A North American X-15 made two suborbital flights in July and August, becoming the first reusable spacecraft
Orbital launches
First4 January
Last21 December
Total70
Successes50
Failures17
Partial failures3
Catalogued55
Rockets
Maiden flightsAtlas LV-3A Agena-D
Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B
Polyot 11A59
Scout X-2B
Scout X-3M
Scout X-4
Thor DSV-2A Ablestar
TAT SLV-2A Agena-B
TAT SLV-2A Agena-D
Voskhod 11A57
RetirementsAtlas LV-3B
Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B
Scout X-2B
Scout X-2M
Scout X-3M
Crewed flights
Orbital3
Suborbital2
Total travellers4

Deep space rendezvous
Date (GMT) Spacecraft Event Remarks
5 AprilLuna 4Flyby of the MoonFailed lander, closest approach: 8,336 kilometres (5,180 mi)
19 JuneMars 1First flyby of MarsClosest approach: 193,000 kilometres (120,000 mi), communications system failed before flyby

Notable creations of orbital debris
Date/Time (UTC) Source object Event type Pieces tracked Remarks
9 May[1] Westford-2 Communications experiment 46[1] As part of an experiment to facilitate international telecommunications, the US Military deployed an artificial space ring consisting of hundreds of millions of tiny copper needles[2] which would act as antennas reflecting radio signals at the target wavelength of 8 GHz. A large proportion of the needles were not dispersed properly and remained stuck in clumps that were discovered and tracked by the SSN between 1966 and 1991. As of October 2013, 46 of the 144 detected debris clumps remain in orbit.[1] The needles that were properly dispersed are believed to have decayed.[1]

This event prompted international protests[3][4][5][6] and influenced the drafting of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty.[3]

Orbital launch summary

By country
  Soviet Union
  United States
Orbital launch attempts by country in 1963
Country Launches Successes Failures Partial
failures		 Remarks
 Soviet Union241590
 United States463583

By rocket
Rocket Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures Remarks
Atlas LV-3A Agena-B United States3111
Atlas LV-3A Agena-D United States5500Maiden flight
Atlas LV-3B United States1100Retired
Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B United States1100Only flight
Delta B United States6600
Delta C United States1100
Kosmos-2I 63S1 Soviet Union8440
Molniya 8K78 Soviet Union1010
Molniya-L 8K78L Soviet Union3120Maiden flight
Polyot 11A59 Soviet Union1100Maiden flight
Scout X-2B United States1010Only flight
Scout X-2M United States1010Retired
Scout X-3 United States2011
Scout X-3M United States1100Only flight
Scout X-4 United States2101Maiden flight
Thor DSV-2A Ablestar United States2200Maiden flight
Thor DM-21 Agena-B United States1100
Thor SLV-2 Agena-D (Thor DM-21 Agena-D) United States8620Redesignated midyear
Thrust Augmented Thor SLV-2A Agena-B United States1100Maiden flight
Thrust Augmented Thor SLV-2A Agena-D United States10820Maiden flight
Voskhod 11A57 Soviet Union1100Maiden flight
Vostok-K 8K72K Soviet Union2200
Vostok-2 8A92 Soviet Union8620

By orbit
Orbital regime Launches Achieved Not Achieved Accidentally
Achieved		 Remarks
Low Earth5744132
Medium Earth5410
High Earth5320Including Highly elliptical orbits
Geosynchronous/transfer2200
Heliocentric1010

References
Generic references:
Spaceflight portal
  • Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
  • Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
  • Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
  • Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
  • Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report".
  • McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report".
  • Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
  • Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
  • Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
  • Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
  • "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
  • "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
  • "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  • "Space Information Center". JAXA.
  • "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).

Footnotes
  1. "West Ford Needles: Where are They Now?" (PDF). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. NASA. 17 (4). October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  2. Shapiro, I. I.; Jones, H. M.; Perkins, C.W. (May 1964), "Orbital properties of the West Ford dipole belt", Proceedings of the IEEE, 52 (5): 469–518, doi:10.1109/proc.1964.2992
  3. Terrill Jr., Delbert R. (May 1999), "The Air Force Role in Developing International Outer Space Law" (PDF), Air Force History and Museums Program, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Air University Press: 63
  4. Butrica, Andrew J. (ed.), "Beyond the Ionosphere: The Development of Satellite Communications", history.nasa.gov, The NASA History Series, NASA
  5. Bondi, H. (June 1962), "West Ford Project, Introductory Note by the Secretary", Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 3: 99, Bibcode:1962QJRAS...3...99.
  6. "Protests Continue Abroad", The New York Times, London: Reuters (published 23 October 1961), p. 12, 22 October 1961, ISSN 0362-4331


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