1961 in spaceflight

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For launches in the first half of the year, see 1961 in spaceflight (January–June), for launches in the second half, see 1961 in spaceflight (July–December)

Orbital launches
The Vostok 1 spacecraft, aboard which Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth on 12 April 1961
First	31 January
Last	22 December
Total	50
Successes	28
Failures	20
Partial failures	2
Catalogued	36
National firsts
Spaceflight	Italy
Space traveller	Soviet Union United States
Rockets
Maiden Flights	Atlas LV-3A Agena-B Kosmos-2I 63S1 Saturn I (suborbital test)
Retirements	Atlas LV-3A Agena-A Juno II
Manned flights
Orbital	2
Suborbital	2
Total travellers	4
v · d · e

Contents

1 Deep Space Rendezvous
2 Orbital launch summary
3 References
- 3.1 Footnotes

← Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec →

Deep Space Rendezvous

Date (GMT)	Spacecraft	Event	Remarks
19 May	Venera 1	Flyby of Venus	Spacecraft was already non-functional as communication had been lost en route, closest approach: 100,000 kilometres (62,000 mi)

Orbital launch summary

By country

	Soviet Union
	United States

Orbital launch attempts by country in 1961

Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Soviet Union	9	5	4	0
United States	41	23	16	2

By rocket

Rocket	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Atlas LV-3A Agena-A	United States	1	1	0	0	Retired
Atlas LV-3A Agena-B	United States	7	2	4	1	Maiden flight
Atlas LV-3B	United States	3	2	1	0	First orbital launch
RM-90 Blue Scout II	United States	1	0	1	0	First orbital launch
Juno II	United States	3	1	2	0	Retired
Kosmos-2I 63S1	Soviet Union	2	0	2	0	Maiden flight
Molniya 8K78	Soviet Union	2	1	1	0
Scout X-1	United States	3	1	2	0
Thor DM-21 Ablestar	United States	3	2	0	1
Thor DM-21 Agena-B	United States	17	11	6	0
Thor DM-19 Delta	United States	3	3	0	0
Vostok-K 8K72K	Soviet Union	5	4	1	0

By orbit

Orbital regime	Launches	Achieved	Not Achieved	Accidentally Achieved	Remarks
Low Earth	41	28	13	3
Medium Earth	1	1	0	0
High Earth	6	2	4	0	Including Highly elliptical orbits
Heliocentric	2	1	1	0

References

Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/.
Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica". http://www.astronautix.com.
Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/chrono.htm.
"Space Information Center". JAXA. http://spaceinfo.jaxa.jp.
McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report". Jonathan's Space Page. http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
"Mission Set Database". NASA GSFC. http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php.
"NASASpaceFlight.com". http://www.nasaspaceflight.com.
"Launch Logs". Orbital Report News Agency. http://www.orbireport.com/Log.html.
"Space Calendar". NASA JPL. http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/.
"Southwest Space Archive". http://www.spacearchive.info/index.htm.
"Launch Forecast". SPACE.com. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/launch_schedule.html.
"Spaceflight Now". http://www.spaceflightnow.com.
Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive". http://www.sworld.com.au/steven/space/.
"U.S. Space Objects Registry". http://www.usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/.
"Хроника освоения космоса" (in Russian). http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencyclopedia/chrono/index.shtml.

Generic references:

Spaceflight portal

Footnotes

Timeline of spaceflight

1940s

1945

1950s

1960s

1961

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2017

2018

2019

Preceded by 1960	Timeline of spaceflight 1961	Succeeded by 1962

v · d · e← 1960 · Orbital launches in 1961 · 1962 →

Samos 2 \| Tyazhely Sputnik \| Venera 1 \| Explorer 9 \| Discoverer 20 \| Discoverer 21 \| Transit 3B · LOFTI-1 \| S-45 \| Korabl-Sputnik 4 \| Korabl-Sputnik 5 \| Explorer 10 \| Discoverer 22 \| Discoverer 23 \| Vostok 1 \| Mercury-Atlas 3 \| Explorer 11 \| S-45A \| Discoverer 24 \| Discoverer 25 \| Transit 4A · Solrad 3 · Injun 1 \| S-55 \| Discoverer 26 \| TIROS-3 \| Midas 3 \| Discoverer 27 \| Discoverer 28 \| Vostok 2 \| Explorer 12 \| Ranger 1 \| Explorer 13 \| Discoverer 29 \| Samos 3 \| Discoverer 30 \| Mercury-Atlas 4 \| Discoverer 31 \| Discoverer 32 \| Midas 4 · Westford 1 \| Discoverer 33 \| DS-1 No.1 \| Mercury-Scout 1 \| Discoverer 34 \| Discoverer 35 \| Transit 4B · TRAAC \| Ranger 2 \| Samos 4 \| Mercury-Atlas 5 \| Zenit-2 No.1 \| Discoverer 36 · Oscar 1 \| DS-1 No.2 \| FTV-2203

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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