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
Orbital launches
A North American X-15 made two suborbital flights in July and August, becoming the first reusable spacecraft
First	4 January
Last	21 December
Total	70
Successes	50
Failures	17
Partial failures	3
Catalogued	55
Rockets
Maiden flights	Atlas 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
Retirements	Atlas LV-3B Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B Scout X-2B Scout X-2M Scout X-3M
Manned flights
Orbital	3
Suborbital	2
Total travellers	4

Deep space rendezvous

Date (GMT)	Spacecraft	Event	Remarks
5 April	Luna 4	Flyby of the Moon	Failed lander, closest approach: 8,336 kilometres (5,180 mi)
19 June	Mars 1	First flyby of Mars	Closest approach: 193,000 kilometres (120,000 mi), communications system failed before flyby

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]

	Soviet Union
	United States

Orbital launch attempts by country in 1963

Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Soviet Union	24	15	9	0
United States	46	35	8	3

Rocket	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Atlas LV-3A Agena-B	United States	3	1	1	1
Atlas LV-3A Agena-D	United States	5	5	0	0	Maiden flight
Atlas LV-3B	United States	1	1	0	0	Retired
Atlas LV-3C Centaur-B	United States	1	1	0	0	Only flight
Delta B	United States	6	6	0	0
Delta C	United States	1	1	0	0
Kosmos-2I 63S1	Soviet Union	8	4	4	0
Molniya 8K78	Soviet Union	1	0	1	0
Molniya-L 8K78L	Soviet Union	3	1	2	0	Maiden flight
Polyot 11A59	Soviet Union	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Scout X-2B	United States	1	0	1	0	Only flight
Scout X-2M	United States	1	0	1	0	Retired
Scout X-3	United States	2	0	1	1
Scout X-3M	United States	1	1	0	0	Only flight
Scout X-4	United States	2	1	0	1	Maiden flight
Thor DSV-2A Ablestar	United States	2	2	0	0	Maiden flight
Thor DM-21 Agena-B	United States	1	1	0	0
Thor SLV-2 Agena-D (Thor DM-21 Agena-D)	United States	8	6	2	0	Redesignated midyear
Thrust Augmented Thor SLV-2A Agena-B	United States	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Thrust Augmented Thor SLV-2A Agena-D	United States	10	8	2	0	Maiden flight
Voskhod 11A57	Soviet Union	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Vostok-K 8K72K	Soviet Union	2	2	0	0
Vostok-2 8A92	Soviet Union	8	6	2	0

Orbital regime	Launches	Achieved	Not Achieved	Accidentally Achieved	Remarks
Low Earth	57	44	13	2
Medium Earth	5	4	1	0
High Earth	5	3	2	0	Including Highly elliptical orbits
Geosynchronous/transfer	2	2	0	0
Heliocentric	1	0	1	0

Generic references:

1 2 3 4 "West Ford Needles: Where are They Now?" (PDF). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. NASA. 17 (4). October 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
↑ 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
1 2 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
↑ Butrica, Andrew J. (ed.), "Beyond the Ionosphere: The Development of Satellite Communications", history.nasa.gov, The NASA History Series, NASA
↑ 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.
↑ "Protests Continue Abroad", The New York Times, London: Reuters (published October 23, 1961), p. 12, October 22, 1961, ISSN 0362-4331

← 1962 · Orbital launches in 1963 · 1964 →

Luna E-6 No.2 \| OPS 0048 \| OPS 0180 \| Luna E-6 No.3 \| Syncom 1 \| OPS 0240 \| OPS 0583 \| OPS 0627 · P-11 No.1 \| Kosmos 13 \| OPS 0720 \| Luna 4 \| Explorer 17 \| Transit 5A-2 \| DS-P1 No.2 \| Kosmos 14 \| Kosmos 15 \| OPS 1008 \| OPS 1298 \| Kosmos 16 \| Telstar 2 \| Midas 7 · Dash 1 · ERS-5 · ERS-6 · Westford 2 \| Mercury-Atlas 9 (Balloon Subsatellite 2 · Flashing Light Unit) \| OPS 0924 \| Kosmos 17 \| Kosmos 18 \| DS-MT No.1 \| OPS 0954 \| Midas 8 · ERS-7 · ERS-8 \| Vostok 5 \| FTV-1292 · Solrad 6A · LOFTI 2B · Surcal 3 · Radose 112 \| Transit 5A-3 \| Vostok 6 \| TIROS-7 \| OPS 0999 · Hitchhiker 1 \| GRS \| OPS 1440 \| Zenit-2 No.12 \| OPS 1467 \| OPS 1266 \| Midas 9 · Dash 2 · ERS-9 · ERS-10 \| Syncom 2 \| OPS 1370 \| Kosmos 19 \| DS-A1 No.3 \| OPS 1419 \| OPS 1561 · LAMPO \| OPS 1947 \| OPS 1353 \| OPS 1610 \| Transit 5BN-1 · Transit 5E-1 \| Vela 1A · Vela 1B · ERS-12 \| Kosmos 20 \| DS-A1 No.4 \| OPS 2196 \| OPS 2437 · Hitchhiker 2 \| Polyot 1 \| OPS 2268 \| Kosmos 21 \| Kosmos 22 \| Explorer 18 \| Atlas-Centaur 2 \| OPS 2260 \| Zenit-2 No.14 \| Transit 5BN-2 · Transit 5E-2 \| Kosmos 23 \| OPS 2372 \| Kosmos 24 \| Explorer 19 \| TIROS-8 \| OPS 1388 · Hitchhiker 3

Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( \| ). Manned flights are indicated in bold text. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets.

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