Rocket Launches in 1958
Spaceflight in 1958: The United States reaches orbit with Explorer 1 on 1 February, and its instruments lead to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts. Vanguard 1 follows in March as the first solar-powered satellite, and NASA begins operating in October. Most launches still fail, including every attempt by either side to reach the Moon.
28 launches in 1958 · 20 failures · 1 partial
Launch list for 1958
| Date (UTC) | Rocket | Mission | Provider | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-02-01 | Juno-I | Explorer 1 | Chrysler | Success |
| 1958-02-05 | Vanguard | Vanguard | LM | Failure |
| 1958-03-05 | Juno-I | Explorer 2 | Chrysler | Failure |
| 1958-03-17 | Vanguard | Vanguard | LM | Success |
| 1958-03-26 | Juno-I | Explorer 3 | Chrysler | Success |
| 1958-04-27 | Sputnik 8A91 | D-1 1 | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1958-04-29 | Vanguard | Vanguard | LM | Failure |
| 1958-05-15 | Sputnik 8A91 | D1- 2 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1958-05-28 | Vanguard | Vanguard | LM | Failure |
| 1958-06-26 | Vanguard | Vanguard | LM | Failure |
| 1958-07-25 | Project Pilot | NOTS 1 | USN | Failure |
| 1958-07-26 | Juno-I | Explorer 4 | Chrysler | Success |
| 1958-08-12 | Project Pilot | NOTS 2 | USN | Failure |
| 1958-08-17 | Thor Able I | Able I (Pioneer) | McDonnell Douglas | Failure |
| 1958-08-22 | Project Pilot | NOTS 3 | USN | Failure |
| 1958-08-24 | Juno-I | Explorer 5 | Chrysler | Failure |
| 1958-08-25 | Project Pilot | NOTS 4 | USN | Failure |
| 1958-08-26 | Project Pilot | NOTS 5 | USN | Failure |
| 1958-08-28 | Project Pilot | NOTS 6 | USN | Failure |
| 1958-09-23 | Vostok-L 8K72 | Luna-1a | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1958-09-26 | Vanguard | Vanguard | LM | Failure |
| 1958-10-11 | Thor Able I | Pioneer 1 | McDonnell Douglas | Partial Failure |
| 1958-10-11 | Vostok-L 8K72 | Luna-1b | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1958-10-23 | Juno-I | Beacon | Chrysler | Failure |
| 1958-11-08 | Thor Able I | Pioneer 2 | McDonnell Douglas | Failure |
| 1958-12-04 | Vostok-L 8K72 | Luna-1c | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1958-12-06 | Juno II | Pioneer 3 | Chrysler | Success |
| 1958-12-18 | SM-65B Atlas | SCORE | Convair | Success |