1960 Rocket Launch Statistics
In 1960, there were 38 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 19 of them reached orbit. That is 15 more than in 1959, and the most of any year until then. By country, the United States launched 29 and the Soviet Union 9. Together they put 20 tonnes of payload in orbit.
Statistics summary
Payload to orbit
1960
20 t
vs 2 t in 1959
Per week
390 kg
vs 40 kg in 1959
Reached orbit
1960
50%
19 of 38; 19 failures
1959
57%
13 of 23; 10 failures
Who flew in 1960
Company1960 launches1960Share
1960 against 1959. Drawings at one true scale.
Country1960 launches1960Share
1960 against 1959. Drawings at one true scale.
Every company, as a table
| Company | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas | 21 | 55% | 3 t | 12% |
| RKK Energia | 9 | 24% | 16 t | 80% |
| Convair | 5 | 13% | 1 t | 7% |
| Chrysler | 2 | 5% | 42 kg | <1% |
| Vought | 1 | 3% | – |
Launches and payload by week
Orbital launch attempts per week, 1960
SpaceX, and the rest of the world by region.
Show as table
| Week of | SpaceX | Rest of US | Europe | China | Russia | India | Rest of World | All | Payload to orbit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 216 kg |
| 11 Dec 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 4 Dec 1960 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 310 kg |
| 27 Nov 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 5 t |
| 20 Nov 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 124 kg |
| 6 Nov 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 307 kg |
| 30 Oct 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 42 kg |
| 23 Oct 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 9 Oct 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | – |
| 2 Oct 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 225 kg |
| 25 Sep 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 11 Sep 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 220 kg |
| 14 Aug 1960 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 7 Aug 1960 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 293 kg |
| 24 Jul 1960 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – |
| 26 Jun 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 19 Jun 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 119 kg |
| 22 May 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 t |
| 15 May 1960 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 7 t |
| 8 May 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 10 Apr 1960 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 314 kg |
| 27 Mar 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 124 kg |
| 20 Mar 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 6 Mar 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 43 kg |
| 21 Feb 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 14 Feb 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 31 Jan 1960 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
Year against year
Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 1957 to 1960
Added up through each year.
Show as table
| By the end of | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 · 0 t | 0 · 0 t | 1 · 205 kg | 0 · 0 t |
| February | 0 · 0 t | 2 · 8 kg | 3 · 215 kg | 3 · 0 t |
| March | 0 · 0 t | 5 · 18 kg | 4 · 222 kg | 5 · 43 kg |
| April | 0 · 0 t | 7 · 18 kg | 6 · 420 kg | 10 · 481 kg |
| May | 0 · 0 t | 9 · 1 t | 6 · 420 kg | 13 · 9 t |
| June | 0 · 0 t | 10 · 1 t | 10 · 420 kg | 15 · 9 t |
| July | 0 · 0 t | 12 · 1 t | 11 · 420 kg | 16 · 9 t |
| August | 0 · 0 t | 19 · 1 t | 15 · 962 kg | 21 · 14 t |
| September | 0 · 0 t | 21 · 1 t | 18 · 1 t | 23 · 14 t |
| October | 1 · 84 kg | 24 · 1 t | 20 · 2 t | 28 · 15 t |
| November | 2 · 602 kg | 25 · 1 t | 23 · 2 t | 32 · 15 t |
| December | 3 · 602 kg | 28 · 1 t | 23 · 2 t | 38 · 20 t |
Busiest rockets in 1960
Launches and payload by country in 1960
Orbital launch attempts by country, 1960
By the country of the rocket.
Show as table
| Country | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 29 | 76% | 4 t | 20% |
| Soviet Union | 9 | 24% | 16 t | 80% |