# 1951 in spaceflight

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Future :
The year 1951 saw extensive exploration of space by the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR) using suborbital rockets. The Soviets launched their first series of biomedical tests to the 100-kilometre (62 mi) boundary of space (as defined by the World Air Sports Federation). Several American agencies launched more than a dozen scientific sounding rocket flights between them. The US Navy launched its Viking sounding rocket for the seventh time since 1949, this time to a record-breaking 136 miles (219 km) in August 1951.
Development also continued by both superpowers on rockets more powerful than the World War Two era German V-2 that had inaugurated the age of spaceflight. The USSR advanced far beyond their R-1 (a V-2 copy) with the deployment of the R-2 rocket, which could carry a ton of explosives twice as far as its predecessor. Though the ambitious Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile was canceled in 1951, the more achievable R-5 missile project was initiated. Both the US Air Force and the US Army initiated their first post-V-2 ballistic missile projects, Atlas for the former and Redstone for the latter.

## Space exploration
### United States

The US Army, US Air Force, and the Applied Physics Laboratory continued their use of Aerobee on a variety of physics, aeronomy, photography, weather, and biomedical sounding rocket flights; a total of 11 were launched during the year. Two of these comprised the earliest space biomedical missions. Launched by the Air Force, and carrying mice and monkeys, they (along with a third flight in 1952) determined that brief (approx. 15 minutes) exposure to acceleration, reduced gravity, and high altitude cosmic radiation did not have significant negative effects.
The first generation of US Navy-built Viking sounding rockets reached its acme of performance with the flight of Viking 7, the sole Viking launch of 1951. Launched 7 August from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the rocket set a new world altitude record of 136 miles (219 km).$^{:167–171,236}$

### Soviet Union

The R-1, the Soviet Union's first domestically built long-range ballistic missile, was accepted into service in November 1950. In January 1951, cold-weather testing of the R-1 for quality assurance purposes was conducted.$^{:149,152}$ On 1 June, production of the R-1 was centralized and transferred to a former automobile factory in Dnepropetrovsk, and that month, a test series of R-1s was successfully launched to the edge of space, all landing within 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) of their targets. Though the R-1, a virtual copy of the now-obsolete V-2,$^{:119}$ was not a particularly formidable weapon and posed virtually no threat to the West, it was invaluable in training engineers and missile crews, as well as creating a nascent rocket industry in the Soviet Union.$^{:152–3}$
On 29 January 1951, dogs were carried on one of the winter test flights of the R-1. This was followed in the summer by six R-1s specifically designed and equipped for biomedical flights to determine if their payload dogs could survive the rigors of space travel and be recovered. Three of the missions were successful. On July 22, 1951, Dezik and Tsygan became the first Soviet space dogs to be launched into sub-orbital spaceflight.
The R-2 missile, the first operational Soviet design to have a separable nose cone, underwent a second test series of thirteen flights in July 1951, experiencing one failure. Accepted for operational service on 27 November 1951, the design had a range of 600 kilometres (370 mi), twice that of the R-1, while maintaining a similar payload of around 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb).$^{:48–9}$

## Spacecraft development
### US Air Force

By 1950, the war-head carrying ballistic missile, which in the United States had been eclipsed since World War II by guided missile development, received national priority. In January 1951, the US Air Force's Air Research and Development Command awarded to Consolidated Vultee the contract for Atlas, the nation's first Intercontinental ballistic missile.$^{:59–61}$ The Atlas went on to become one of the key boosters in America's crewed and robotic space programs,$^{:32–39}$ first orbiting a payload (SCORE) in 1958.$^{:153,161–2}$

### US Army

On 15 April 1950, Wernher von Braun and his team of German rocket engineers were transferred from Fort Bliss to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. In 1951, the Redstone team was tasked with researching and developing guided missiles and developing and testing free rockets, solid propellants, Jet-Assisted Take-off rockets, and related items, thus making the Army a leading player in America's missile development. Their work led to the production of the Redstone missile, first launched in 1953, versions of which ultimately launched Explorer 1, America's first artificial satellite, in 1958, and Mercury-Redstone 3, America's first human space mission, in 1961.

### US Navy

In the summer of 1950, the United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) team led by Milton Rosen began work on an improved Viking rocket able to reach higher altitudes. The team would achieve increased performance through larger fuel tanks and reduced weight elsewhere on the rocket. Originally planned for launch in 1951, the development of the second generation Viking took two years, and the first of the new rockets would not launch until 6 June 1952.$^{:172–3,236}$

### University of Iowa

In January 1951, Dr. James Van Allen, instrumental in the development of the Aerobee rocket, joined the physics department at the State University of Iowa (SUI). Along with University of Chicago graduate Melvin B. Gottlieb and Van Allen's first SUI graduate student, Leslie H. Meredith, they began a high altitude cosmic ray research program using equipment mounted on balloons. Launched from 16 June 1951, through 26 January 1952,$^{:7–10}$ this experience set the foundation for balloon-launched sounding rockets, which would first breach the boundary of space in 1954.$^{:38}$

### Soviet Union

From 1947, G-1 (or R-10) missile, designed by German specialists brought to the USSR in 1945 to work on missile projects, competed with the Soviet-designed R-2 for limited engineering and production staff, the latter winning out by the end of 1949. With the project stalled for a lack of resources and government interest, the Soviets terminated all work by the German specialists in October 1950. In December 1951, the first of these Germans were repatriated to East Germany (a process that the Soviets completed in November 1953).$^{:69–70}$
The draft plan for the ambitious 3,000-kilometre (1,900 mi) range R-3 had been approved on 7 December 1949,$^{:67}$ but was canceled on 20 October 1951, other designs proving more useful and achievable.$^{:275–6}$ One of them was the R-5 missile, able to carry the same payload as the R-1 and R-2 but over a distance of 1,200 kilometres (750 mi)$^{:242}$ (the other being the R-11, a tactical missile half the size of the R-1 but with the same payload). The R-5's conceptual design was completed by 30 October 1951.$^{:97}$

## Launches

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

### January

January launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 18 January 20:14 | V-2 | V-2 | V-2 No. 54 | White Sands LC-33 | White Sands LC-33 | GE / US Army | GE / US Army |
| 18 January 20:14 | | | NRL | Suborbital | Cosmic Radiation / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray | 18 January | Launch failure |
| Project Hermes launch, Apogee: 1.61 kilometres (1.00 mi), very low thrust$^{:446–447}$ ||||||
| 22 January 22:55 | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | A19 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Navy | US Navy |
| 22 January 22:55 | | | APL | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 22 January | Successful |
| Apogee: 89 kilometres (55 mi)$^{:287–288}$ ||||||
| 25 January 15:00 | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | A20 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Navy | US Navy |
| 25 January 15:00 | | | APL | Suborbital | Ozone Aeronomy | 25 January | Successful |
| Apogee: 90 kilometres (56 mi)$^{:289–290}$ ||||||
| 29 January | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 29 January | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 29 January | Successful |
| Carried dogs ||||||
| 30 January | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 30 January | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 30 January | Successful |
| 31 January | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 31 January | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 31 January | Successful |

### February

February launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 1 February | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 1 February | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 February | Successful |
| 2 February | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 2 February | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 2 February | Successful |
| 6 February 17:20 | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | Aerobee RTV-N-10 | A21 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Navy | US Navy |
| 6 February 17:20 | | | APL | Suborbital | Photography | 6 February | Successful |
| Apogee: 98 kilometres (61 mi)$^{:291–292}$ ||||||

### March

March launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 9 March 03:16 | V-2 | V-2 | V-2 No. 57 | White Sands LC-33 | White Sands LC-33 | GE / US Army | GE / US Army |
| 9 March 03:16 | | Blossom IVE | Air Materiel Command | Suborbital | Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy / Ionospheric / Airglow | 9 March | Launch failure |
| Project Hermes launch, apogee: 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi), explosions starting at 15.5 seconds destroyed the tail section$^{:452–453}$ ||||||
| 28 March 23:14 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 10 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 28 March 23:14 | | | AFCRL | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 28 March | Successful |
| Apogee: 66 kilometres (41 mi)$^{:64–65}$ ||||||

### April

April launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 12 April 17:26 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 11 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 12 April 17:26 | | | AFCRL / University of Colorado | Suborbital | Solar UV | 12 April | Partial failure |
| Apogee: 29 kilometres (18 mi), premature engine cutoff at 30.6 seconds$^{:66–67}$ ||||||
| 18 April 18:39 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 12 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 18 April 18:39 | | Aeromed 1 | AFCRL / WADC Aero-Medical Laboratory | Suborbital | Biological | 18 April | Successful |
| First biomedical Aerobee mission, carried monkey; apogee: 61 kilometres (38 mi)$^{:68–69}$ ||||||

### May

May launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 29 May 19:46 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 13 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 29 May 19:46 | | | AFCRL / Boston University | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 29 May | Launch failure |
| Apogee: 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi)$^{:70–71}$ ||||||

### June

June launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 8 June 00:11 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 14 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 8 June 00:11 | | | AFCRL | Suborbital | Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy | 8 June | Successful |
| Apogee: 89 kilometres (55 mi)$^{:72–73}$ ||||||
| 8 June 01:18 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 19 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Army | US Army |
| 8 June 01:18 | | | USASC / University of Michigan | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 8 June | Launch failure |
| Apogee: 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi), full burn but very low thrust$^{:224–225}$ ||||||
| 9 June 06:11 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 18 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Army | US Army |
| 9 June 06:11 | | Grenades | USASC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 9 June | Successful |
| Apogee: 66.8 kilometres (41.5 mi)$^{:221–223}$ ||||||
| 13 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 13 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 13 June | Successful |
| 14 June 13:48 | V-2 | V-2 | V-2 No. 55 | White Sands LC-33 | White Sands LC-33 | GE / US Army | GE / US Army |
| 14 June 13:48 | | | NRL | Suborbital | Cosmic Radiation / Solar UV / Solar X-Ray | 14 June | Launch failure |
| Project Hermes launch, apogee: 0 kilometres (0 mi), rocket exploded at ignition$^{:449}$ ||||||
| 14 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 14 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 14 June | Successful |
| 18 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 18 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 18 June | Successful |
| 19 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 19 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 June | Successful |
| 20 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 20 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 20 June | Successful |
| 22 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 22 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 22 June | Successful |
| 23 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 23 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 23 June | Successful |
| 24 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 24 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 24 June | Successful |
| 25 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 25 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 25 June | Successful |
| 26 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 26 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 26 June | Successful |
| 27 June | R-1 | R-1 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 27 June | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 27 June | Successful |
| 28 June 21:43 | V-2 | V-2 | V-2 No. 52 | White Sands LC-33 | White Sands LC-33 | GE / US Army | GE / US Army |
| 28 June 21:43 | | Blossom IVF | Air Materiel Command | Suborbital | Solar UV / Solar X-Ray / Ionospheric / Photography / Aeronomy / Biological | 28 June | Launch failure |
| Final project Hermes launch, apogee: 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi), explosion in tail section at 8 seconds, cutoff triggered at 22 seconds$^{:441–443}$ ||||||

### July

July launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 2 July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 2 July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 2 July | |
| First of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Second of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Third of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Fourth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Fifth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Sixth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Seventh of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Eighth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Ninth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Tenth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Eleventh of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | Same day | |
| Twelfth of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| 22 July | R-1V | R-1V | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 22 July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Biological | 22 July | Successful |
| Maiden flight of the R-1V; first ever space dog mission carried dogs Dezik and Zhegan which were recovered.$^{:21}$ ||||||
| 25 July 16:26 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 15 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 25 July 16:26 | | | AFCRC | Suborbital | Sky Brightness | 25 July | Successful |
| Apogee: 71.3 kilometres (44.3 mi)$^{:74–75}$ ||||||
| 27 July | R-2 | R-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 27 July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Missile test | 27 July | |
| Last of thirteen launches, 12 of which hit the target area.$^{:97}$ ||||||
| 29 July | R-1B | R-1B | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 29 July | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Biological | 29 July | Launch failure |
| Maiden flight of the R-1B; electrical failure, no payload recovery; carried dogs did not survive ||||||

### August

August launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 7 August 16:36 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 16 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 7 August 16:36 | | | AFCRC / Boston University | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 7 August | Successful |
| Apogee: 83.5 kilometres (51.9 mi)$^{:76–77}$ ||||||
| 7 August 18:00 | Viking (first model) | Viking (first model) | | White Sands LC-33 – Army Launch Area 1 | White Sands LC-33 – Army Launch Area 1 | US Navy | US Navy |
| 7 August 18:00 | | Viking 7 | NRL | Suborbital | Cosmic Radiation / Solar X-Ray / Aeronomy | 7 August | Successful |
| Final flight of the first model Viking, apogee: 219 kilometres (136 mi)$^{:492–493}$ ||||||
| 15 August | R-1B | R-1B | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 15 August | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Solar UV / Biological | 15 August | Successful |
| Carried dogs, recovered ||||||
| 19 August | R-1V | R-1V | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 19 August | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Biological | 19 August | Successful |
| Final flight of the R-1V; carried dogs, recovered ||||||
| 22 August 19:00 | V-2 | V-2 | TF-1 | White Sands LC-33 | White Sands LC-33 | US Army | US Army |
| 22 August 19:00 | | | US Army | Suborbital | Altitude test | 22 August | Successful |
| First all Army team after General Electric's contract concluded; apogee: 213.4 kilometres (132.6 mi)$^{:463}$ ||||||
| 28 August | R-1B | R-1B | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 28 August | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Biological | 28 August | Successful |
| 30 August 22:40 | Aerobee RTV-A-1b | Aerobee RTV-A-1b | USAF 17 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 30 August 22:40 | | | AFCRC | Suborbital | Rocket test | 30 August | Successful |
| Maiden (and only) flight of the RTV-A-1b, apogee: 76 kilometres (47 mi)$^{:78–79}$ ||||||

### September

September launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 3 September | R-1B | R-1B | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | OKB-1 | OKB-1 |
| 3 September | | | OKB-1 | Suborbital | Biological | 3 September | Successful |
| Final flight of the R-1B; carried dogs, recovered ||||||
| 13 September 11:37 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 18 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 13 September 11:37 | | | AFCRC / University of Michigan | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 13 September | Successful |
| Apogee: 76 kilometres (47 mi)$^{:80–81}$ ||||||
| 20 September 16:31 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | Aerobee RTV-A-1 | USAF 19 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 20 September 16:31 | | Aeromed 2 | AFCRC / WADC Aero-Medical Laboratory | Suborbital | Biological | 20 September | Successful |
| Carried monkey, Yorick/Albert VI, and 11 mice, all recovered; apogee: 71 kilometres (44 mi)$^{:82–83}$ ||||||
| 27 September 00:06 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 21 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Army | US Army |
| 27 September 00:06 | | | USASC / University of Michigan | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 27 September | Successful |
| Apogee: 68.9 kilometres (42.8 mi)$^{:229–230}$ ||||||

### October

October launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 17 October 18:17 | Aerobee RTV-A-1a | Aerobee RTV-A-1a | USAF 20 | Holloman LC-A | Holloman LC-A | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 17 October 18:17 | | | AFCRC / Boston University | Suborbital | Ionospheric | 17 October | Successful |
| Apogee: 114.3 kilometres (71.0 mi), maiden flight of the RTV-A-1a$^{:84}$ ||||||
| 29 October 21:04 | V-2 | V-2 | V-2 No. 60 | White Sands LC-33 | White Sands LC-33 | US Army | US Army |
| 29 October 21:04 | | | USASC / University of Michigan | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 29 October | Successful |
| Apogee: 141.0 kilometres (87.6 mi)$^{:458–459}$ ||||||

### November

November launches :
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 1 November 09:46 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 20 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Army | US Army |
| 1 November 09:46 | | Grenades | USASC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 1 November | Successful |
| Apogee: 66.3 kilometres (41.2 mi)$^{:226–227}$ ||||||
| 3 November 00:35 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | SC 22 | White Sands LC-35 | White Sands LC-35 | US Army | US Army |
| 3 November 00:35 | | Grenades | USASC | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 3 November | Successful |
| Apogee: 82 kilometres (51 mi)$^{:231–232}$ ||||||
* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

## Suborbital launch summary
### By country

Launches by country :
| Country | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures |
| | United States | 26 | 19 | 6 | 1 |
| | Soviet Union | 35 | 33 | 1 | 1 |

### By rocket

* V-2 (American)
* Viking (first model)
* Aerobee RTV-N-10
* Aerobee XASR-SC-1
* Aerobee RTV-A-1
* Aerobee RTV-A-1b
* Aerobee RTV-A-1a
* R-1
* R-1V
* R-1B
* R-2
Launches by rocket :
| Rocket | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
| V-2 | United States | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| Viking (first model) | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Retired |
| Aerobee RTV-N-10 | United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aerobee XASR-SC-1 | United States | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | |
| Aerobee RTV-A-1 | United States | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | |
| Aerobee RTV-A-1b | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired |
| Aerobee RTV-A-1a | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| R-1 | Soviet Union | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | |
| R-1V | Soviet Union | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired |
| R-1B | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, retired |
| R-2 | Soviet Union | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | |