1962 in spaceflight (January–March)

This is a list of spaceflights launched between January and March 1962. For launches in the rest of the year, see 1962 in spaceflight (April–June), 1962 in spaceflight (July–September) and 1962 in spaceflight (October–December). For an overview of the whole year, see 1962 in spaceflight.

Orbital launches

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Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat)
Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January-March

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13 January
21:41
 Thor DM-21 Agena-B  Vandenberg LC-75-3-4  US Air Force
 Discoverer 37 (KH-3 9030) NRO/CIA Intended: Low Earth Optical imaging 13 January Launch Failure
 SRV-571 NRO/CIA Intended: Low Earth Film return
Last KH-3 launch, failed to orbit
24 January
09:30
 Thor DM-21 Ablestar  Cape Canaveral LC-17B  US Air Force
 LOFTI 2A US Navy/NRL Intended: Low Earth Technology
Ionospheric
24 January Launch failure
 SECOR (ERGS) US Army Intended: Low Earth Geodesy
 Solrad 4 (GRAB-4) US Navy/NRL Intended: Low Earth Radiation
ELINT
 Injun 2 Iowa Intended: Low Earth Ionospheric
 SURCAL 1 NRL Intended: Low Earth Calibration
Failed to orbit
26 January
20:30
 Atlas LV-3A Agena-B  Cape Canaveral LC-12  US Air Force
 Ranger 3 (P-34) NASA Heliocentric Lunar impactor In orbit Launch failure
Upper stage guidance malfunction, missed Moon by 36,874 kilometres (22,912 mi)
8 February
12:43:45
 Thor DM-19 Delta  Cape Canaveral LC-17A  US Air Force
 Tiros-4 (Tiros-D) NASA Low Earth Weather In orbit Successful
Last signal received on 30 June
20 February
14:47:39
 Atlas LV-3B  Cape Canaveral LC-14  US Air Force
 Mercury-Atlas 6 NASA Low Earth Test flight 19:43:02 Successful
Carried astronaut John Glenn, first US crewed orbital spaceflight
21 February
18:44
 Thor DM-21 Agena-B  Vandenberg LC-75-3-5  US Air Force
 FTV-2301 (Ferret/Samos-F2 1) US Air Force Low Earth ELINT 9 March Partial launch failure
Upper stage failed to restart, placed in lower orbit than planned
27 February
19:39
 Thor DM-21 Agena-B  Vandenberg LC-75-3-4  US Air Force
 Discoverer 38 (KH-4 9031) NRO/CIA Low Earth Optical imaging 21 March Partial spacecraft failure
 SRV-581 NRO/CIA Low Earth Film return 3 March Successful
First KH-4 launch, returned unfocused images
7 March
16:06:18
 Thor DM-19 Delta  Cape Canaveral LC-17A  US Air Force
 OSO-1 (OSO-A) NASA Low Earth Solar 8 October 1981 Successful
Last signal received in May 1964
7 March
22:10:31
 Atlas LV-3A Agena-B  Point Arguello LC-1-2  US Air Force
 Samos 6 US Air Force Low Earth Optical imaging 3 November Successful
 Samos 6 RV US Air Force Low Earth Optical imaging 7 June 1963 Spacecraft failure
RV recovery failed, resulting in termination of Samos film-return programme
16 March
11:59
 Kosmos 63S1  Kapustin Yar Mayak-2  
 Kosmos 1 (DS-2 #1) Low Earth Ionospheric
Technology
25 May Successful

Suborbital launches

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Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat)
Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January

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4 January  R-16U  Baikonur Site 41/4  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 4 January Successful
Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
5 January
15:00:02
 LGM-30A Minuteman IA  Cape Canaveral LC-31B  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 5 January Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
11 January  R-14U Chusovaya  Kapustin Yar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 11 January Successful
Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
13 January
16:15
 Aerobee-150A  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Test flight 13 January Successful
Apogee: 209 kilometres (130 mi)
13 January  R-14 Chusovaya  Kapustin Yar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 13 January Successful
Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
13 January  R-16U  Baikonur Site 41/4  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 13 January Successful
Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
15 January
11:07:01
 Thor DSV-2D  Cape Canaveral LC-17A  US Air Force
NASA Suborbital Test flight 15 January Successful
Apogee: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi)
16 January
18:59:59
 MGM-31 Pershing I  Cape Canaveral LC-30A  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 16 January Successful
Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
16 January  Aerobee-150 (Hi)  White Sands LC-35  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Solar 16 January Successful
Apogee: 200 kilometres (120 mi)
16 January  R-16U  Baikonur Site 41/4  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 16 January Successful
Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
17 January
21:02:26
 SM-65D Atlas  Vandenberg LC-576B-2  Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command Suborbital Missile test 17 January Successful
Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
17 January  R-16U  Baikonur Site 41/4  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 17 January Successful
Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
18 January  Nike-Zeus  White Sands  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 18 January Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
21 January
00:57
 HGM-25A Titan I  Vandenberg LC-395A-3  Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command Suborbital Missile test 21 January Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
22 January  R-14 Chusovaya  Kapustin Yar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 22 January Successful
Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
23 January
17:05:37
 UGM-27 Polaris A2  Cape Canaveral LC-29A  US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 23 January Launch failure
23 January
21:28:27
 SM-65D Atlas  Vandenberg LC-576B-3  Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command Suborbital Missile test 23 January Successful
Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
25 January
03:26
 MGM-31 Pershing I  Cape Canaveral LC-30A  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 25 January Successful
Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
25 January
14:59:48
 LGM-30A Minuteman IA  Cape Canaveral LC-31B  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 25 January Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
25 January
22:02
 Nike-Zeus  Point Mugu  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 25 January Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
25 January  R-16U  Baikonur Site 41/4  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 25 January Successful
Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
27 January  R-12 Dvina  Kapustin Yar  MVS
MVS Suborbital Missile test 27 January Successful
Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
27 January  R-14 Chusovaya  Kapustin Yar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 27 January Successful
Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
29 January
20:00
 Astrobee-200  Eglin  US Air Force
AFCRL Suborbital Aeronomy 29 January Successful
Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
29 January
23:30:56
 HGM-25A Titan I  Cape Canaveral LC-19  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 29 January Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
30 January  R-12 Dvina  Kapustin Yar  MVS
MVS Suborbital Missile test 30 January Successful
Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)

February

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1 February  Nike-Zeus 3  White Sands LC-38  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 1 February Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
5 February
20:58
 Skylark-5C  Woomera LA-2  RAE
RAE/WRE Suborbital Test flight 5 February Successful
Apogee: 215 kilometres (134 mi)
7 February
04:38
 Aerobee-150A  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital UV Astronomy 7 February Launch failure
Apogee: 4 kilometres (2.5 mi)
7 February
11:50
 Javelin  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Ionospheric 7 February Successful
Apogee: 960 kilometres (600 mi)
7 February  Nike-Zeus  White Sands LC-38  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 7 February Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
11 February  R-14U Chusovaya  Kapustin Yar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 11 February Successful
Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
12 February  Nike-Zeus  Point Mugu  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 12 February Launch failure
Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)
13 February
20:55
 SM-65E Atlas  Cape Canaveral LC-13  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 13 February Successful
Apogee: 1,600 kilometres (990 mi)
15 February
15:35:53
 LGM-30A Minuteman IA  Cape Canaveral LC-31B  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 15 February Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
16 February
23:04
 SM-65D Atlas  Vandenberg LC-576B-2  Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command Suborbital Missile test 16 February Successful
Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
17 February
19:43
 Aerobee-150 (Hi)  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Technology 17 February Successful
Apogee: 157 kilometres (98 mi)
17 February  R-12 Dvina  Kapustin Yar  MVS
MVS Suborbital Missile test 17 February Successful
Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
17 February  R-12 Dvina  Kapustin Yar  MVS
MVS Suborbital Missile test 17 February Successful
Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
20 February
01:00:01
 MGM-31 Pershing I  Cape Canaveral LC-30A  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 20 February Successful
Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
20 February
13:28
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 20 February Successful
Apogee: 132 kilometres (82 mi)
21 February
22:30
 SM-65D Atlas  Vandenberg LC-576B-3  Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command Suborbital Missile test 21 February Launch failure
Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
21 February  R-12 Dvina  Kapustin Yar  MVS
MVS Suborbital Missile test 21 February Successful
Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
21 February  RAM-A  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital REV Test 21 February Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
23 February  HGM-25A Titan I  Vandenberg LC-395A-1
Suborbital Missile test 23 February Launch failure
Apogee: 50 kilometres (31 mi)
24 February  R-21 Project 658 Submarine,  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 24 February Successful
Apogee: 293 kilometres (182 mi)

March

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1 March
00:14:09
 SM-65E Atlas  Vandenberg OSTF-1  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 1 March Successful
Apogee: 1,600 kilometres (990 mi)
1 March
05:07
 Scout X-1A  Wallops Island LA-3  NASA
 P-21A NASA Suborbital REV Test 1 March Successful
Apogee: 214 kilometres (133 mi), only flight of Scout X-1A
1 March
17:07
 Nike-Cajun  Eglin  US Air Force
AFCRL Suborbital Aeronomy 1 March Successful
Apogee: 144 kilometres (89 mi)
1 March
19:45:01
 UGM-27 Polaris A2  Cape Canaveral LC-29A  US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 1 March Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
1 March
23:23
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
GCA Suborbital Aeronomy 1 March Successful
Apogee: 135 kilometres (84 mi)
1 March
23:30
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Test flight 1 March Launch failure
Apogee: 16 kilometres (9.9 mi)
2 March
00:05
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Aeronomy 2 March Successful
Apogee: 113 kilometres (70 mi)
2 March
10:47
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Test flight 2 March Successful
Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi)
2 March
10:54
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
GCA Suborbital Aeronomy 2 March Successful
Apogee: 134 kilometres (83 mi)
2 March
11:15
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Aeronomy 2 March Successful
Apogee: 115 kilometres (71 mi)
3 March  R-16U  Baikonur  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 3 March Successful
Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
5 March
09:55
 Skylark-2  Woomera LA-2  RAE
UCL Suborbital Aeronomy 5 March Successful
Apogee: 233 kilometres (145 mi)
5 March  Nike-Zeus 3  Kwajalein  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 5 March Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
6 March
12:35
 Skylark-2  Woomera LA-2  RAE
UCL Suborbital Aeronomy 6 March Successful
Apogee: 173 kilometres (107 mi)
6 March
13:30
 Aerobee-150 (Hi)  White Sands LC-35  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Aeronomy 6 March Successful
Apogee: 323 kilometres (201 mi)
6 March  R-12 Dvina  Kapustin Yar  MVS
MVS Suborbital Missile test 6 March Successful
Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
8 March
15:23:51
 LGM-30A Minuteman IA  Cape Canaveral LC-31B  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 8 March Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
9 March
00:16
 Nike-Zeus 3  Point Mugu  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 9 March Launch failure
Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)
13 March  Nike-Zeus 3  White Sands LC-38  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 13 March Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
13 March  Nike-Zeus 3  White Sands LC-38  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 13 March Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
14 March  Terrier-Asp IV  Point Arguello LC-B  US Navy
NOTS Suborbital Test flight 14 March Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
15 March
23:31:50
 MGM-31 Pershing I  Cape Canaveral LC-30A  US Army
US Army Suborbital Missile test 15 March Successful
Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
16 March
18:08:58
 LGM-25C Titan II  Cape Canaveral LC-16  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 16 March Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
16 March  Nike-Cajun  Eglin  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Aeronomy 16 March Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
19 March
11:04
 Skylark-2  Woomera LA-2  RAE
UCL Suborbital Aeronomy 19 March Successful
Apogee: 140 kilometres (87 mi)
19 March
15:30
 Aerobee-150A  Wallops Island  NASA
Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 19 March Launch failure
Apogee: 79 kilometres (49 mi)
19 March
23:28
 PGM-17 Thor DM-18A  Vandenberg LE-7  Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force Suborbital Missile test 19 March Successful
Apogee: 520 kilometres (320 mi)
21 March  R-9 Desna  Baikonur  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 21 March Launch failure
21 March  Dongfeng 2  Jiuquan LA-3  PLA
PLA Suborbital Missile test 21 March Launch failure
22 March  R-9 Desna  Baikonur  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 22 March Successful
Apogee: 1,160 kilometres (720 mi)
23 March
01:30:02
 LGM-30A Minuteman IA  Cape Canaveral LC-32B  US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Missile test 23 March Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
23 March
23:44
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
GCA Suborbital Aeronomy 23 March Successful
Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)
23 March
23:54
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA/Michigan Suborbital Aeronomy 23 March Successful
Apogee: 121 kilometres (75 mi)
24 March
00:39:32
 SM-65D Atlas  Vandenberg LC-576B-2  Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command Suborbital Missile test 24 March Successful
Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
26 March
19:03
 NOTS-EV-2 Caleb  F4H Phantom II, Point Arguello  NOTS
NOTS/NRL Suborbital Aeronomy 26 March Launch failure
Apogee: 21 kilometres (13 mi)
27 March
23:48
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
GCA Suborbital Aeronomy 27 March Successful
Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi)
28 March
00:03
 Nike-Cajun  Wallops Island  NASA
NASA Suborbital Aeronomy 28 March Successful
Apogee: 123 kilometres (76 mi)
28 March  R-5A Pobeda  Chelkar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Target 28 March Successful
Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
29 March
07:27
 Scout X-2  Wallops Island LA-3  NASA
NASA Suborbital Plasma research
Aeronomy
29 March Successful
Apogee: 6,291 kilometres (3,909 mi), maiden flight of Scout X-2
29 March
09:28
 HAD  Woomera LA-2  WRE
WRE Suborbital Aeronomy 29 March Successful
Apogee: 125 kilometres (78 mi)
30 March  UGM-27 Polaris A2  Cape Canaveral LC-25A  US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 30 March Launch failure
March  RT-1  Kapustin Yar  RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test March Launch failure
Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)

References

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  • Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
  • Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
  • Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.[dead link]
  • Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
  • Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  • McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
  • 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.[dead link]
  • "Space Information Center". JAXA.[dead link]
  • "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).
Generic references:
  Spaceflight portal