1963 in spaceflight 5196868 197776680 2008-03-12T18:52:39Z GW Simulations 596246 cleanup tag {{Wikipedia:WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight/Cleanup|date=yes|templte=yes|incomplete=yes|dialect=yes|EOM=yes|q=yes|refs=yes}} ==Launches== This is a list of [[spaceflight]]s launched in [[1963]]. {{incomplete list}} {| border="2" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #555 solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#efefef" ! Launch Date/Time ! [[Rocket]] ! Launch <br> Site ! Launch Contractor ! Payload ! Operator ! [[Orbit]] ! Mission/<br>Function ! Re-Entry/<br>Destruction ! Outcome ! Remarks |- ||[[January 4]] <br> 07:12 [[GMT]] ||[[Molniya (rocket)|Molniya-L]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Sputnik 25]] (Luna 4c) ||USSR ||Intended: Soft [[Moon|lunar]] landing ||Lunar exploration ||[[January 5]], [[1963]] ||'''Failure''' ||Spacecraft failed to escape for lunar trajectory |- ||[[January 7]] <br> 21:07 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 18 (KH-4 9051) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[January 16]] <br> 22:04 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-B]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Samos (satellite)|Samos F2-3]] (Ferret 2) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[February 2]] ||[[Molniya (rocket)|Molniya-L]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Luna 1963B]] (Luna 4d) ||USSR ||Intended: [[Moon|lunar]] landing ||Lunar exploration ||[[February 2]], [[1963]] ||'''Failure''' ||Failure of upper stage gyro |- ||[[February 14]] <br> 05:16 [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Syncom|Syncom 1]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Geosynchronous orbit]] ||[[Communications satellite]] ||Still in orbit ||'''Failure''' ||First satellite to reach geosynchronous orbit, but only after loss of signal |- ||[[February 19]] <br> 16:33 [[GMT]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-3M]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Defense Meteorological Satellite Program|DMSP-2A F1]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Military [[weather satellite]] ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[February 28]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 19 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[March 18]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-6 1 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[March 18]], [[1963]] ||'''Failure''' ||Failed to reach orbit due to guidance malfunction |- ||[[March 21]] <br> 08:24 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 13]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[March 29]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[March 28]] <br> 20:11 [[GMT]] ||[[Saturn I (rocket)|Saturn I]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34|LC-34]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||(none), test flight [[SA-4 (Apollo)|SA-4]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Sub-orbital]] ||Test [[Launch vehicle|Launch vehicle's]] [[Engine out capability]]. ||[[March 28]], [[1963]] ||Successful || |- ||[[April 1]] <br> 22:05 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 20 (KH-4 9053) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[April 4]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[April 2]] <br> 08:04 [[GMT]] ||[[Molniya (rocket)|Molniya-L]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Luna 4]] ||USSR ||Intended: [[Moon|Lunar]] landing, Actual: Lunar fly-by ||Lunar exploration ||[[April 6]], [[1963]] ||Partial success ||Fly-by at 8,336 km on April 5 |- ||[[April 3]] <br> 01:55 [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Explorer 17]] (AE-A) ||[[NASA]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Atmospheric research ||[[July 10]], [[1963]] (last signal) ||Successful || |- ||[[April 5]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-3]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Transit (satellite)|Transit 5A 2]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Satellite navigation system]] ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[April 6]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos (14)]] ||Soviet Academy of Sciences ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Experimental [[weather satellite]] ||[[April 6]], [[1963]] ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[April 13]] <br> 11:02 [[GMT]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 14]] ||Soviet Academy of Sciences ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Experimental [[weather satellite]] ||[[August 29]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||First Soviet weather satellite |- ||[[April 22]] <br> 08:24 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 15]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[April 27]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[April 25]] <br> 20:11 [[GMT]] ||[[Saturn I (rocket)|Saturn I (C1)]] ||LC-34, [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||(none) ||N/A ||N/A ||Test [[Launch vehicle|Launch vehicle's]] [[Engine out capability]]. ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[April 26]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-2M]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Defense Meteorological Satellite Program|DMSP-2A F2]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Military [[weather satellite]] ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[April 26]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-5 8 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[April 28]] <br> 09:36 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 16]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[May 8]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[May 7]] <br> 11:31 [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Telstar|Telstar 2]] ||[[AT&T]], [[Bell Labs]] ||[[Highly Elliptical Orbit|HEO]] ||[[Communications satellite]] ||[[May 16]], [[1965]] (last signal) ||Successful || |- | rowspan=5 |[[May 9]] <br> 20:09 [[GMT]] | rowspan=5 |[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-B]] | rowspan=5 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=5 |[[US Air Force]] ||[[MIDAS 7]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth Orbit|MEO]] ||Surveillance of Soviet rocket launches ||April 1977 | rowspan=5 |Successful | rowspan=5 | |- ||Dash-1 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth Orbit|MEO]] ||Experimental balloon satellite ||N/A |- ||TRS-5 (ERS-5) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth Orbit|MEO]] ||Solar cell damage test ||N/A |- ||TRS-6 (ERS-6) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth Orbit|MEO]] ||Solar cell damage test ||N/A |- ||West Ford 2 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth Orbit|MEO]] ||Radio reflective experiment ||N/A |- ||[[May 15]] <br> 13:04 [[GMT]] ||[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas D]] ||LC-14, [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Mercury 9|Mercury-Atlas 9]] <br> 1 Astronaut ([[Gordon Cooper]]) ||[[NASA]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Manned Orbital Flight ||[[May 16]], [[1963]] <!--Check Time--> ||Successful ||Final [[Project Mercury|Mercury]] flight |- ||[[May 18]] <br> 22:34 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-6 2 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||'''Failure''' ||reached orbit but Agena failed in flight |- ||[[May 22]] <br> 03:07 [[GMT]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 17]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[May 24]] <br> 10:48 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 18]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[June 2]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[June 1]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos (19a)]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||N/A ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- | rowspan=3 |[[June 12]] | rowspan=3 |[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-B]] | rowspan=3 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=3 |[[US Air Force]] ||[[MIDAS 8]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A | rowspan=3 |'''Failure''' | rowspan=3 | |- ||TRS-7 (ERS-7) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Solar cell damage test ||N/A |- ||TRS-8 (ERS-8) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Solar cell damage test ||N/A |- ||[[June 12]] <br> 23:58 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 21 (KH-4 9054) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[June 14]] <br> 11:58 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1)]] ||LC-1, [[Baikonur]] ||[[RVSN]] ||[[Vostok 5]], 1 Cosmonaut ([[Valery Bykovsky]]) ||[[RVSN]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Manned Orbital Flight ||[[June 19]], [[1963]] <!--Check Time--> ||Successful || |- ||[[June 15]] <br> 09:29 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|R-7 8K72K (Vostok/A-1)]] ||LC-1, [[Baikonur]] ||[[RVSN]] ||[[Vostok 6]], 1 Cosmonaut ([[Valentina Tereshkova]]) ||[[RVSN]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Manned Orbital Flight ||[[June 19]], [[1963]] <!--Check Time--> ||Successful ||First woman in space. Final [[Vostok spacecraft|Vostok]] flight. |- | rowspan=5 |[[June 15]] <br> 14:38 [[GMT]] | rowspan=5 |[[Thor Agena]]-D | rowspan=5 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=5 |[[US Navy]] ||[[Solrad]] 6 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Solar radiation research ||N/A | rowspan=5 |Successful | rowspan=5 | |- ||LOFTI 2A ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Navigation and global positioning ||N/A |- ||SURCAL 1B ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A |- ||RADOSE ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Radiation measurement ||N/A |- ||1963-021E ([[Poppy (satellite)|Poppy]] 2) ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A |- ||[[June 16]] <br> 01:55 [[GMT]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-3]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Transit (satellite)|Transit 5A 3]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Satellite navigation system]] ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[June 19]] <br> 09:50 [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[TIROS|TIROS 7]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Weather satellite]] ||[[June 3]], [[1968]] (deactivated) ||Successful || |- | rowspan=2 |[[June 27]] <br> 00:43 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 22 (KH-4 9056) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A | rowspan=2 |Successful | rowspan=2 | |- ||Hitch Hiker ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Radiation measurements ||N/A |- ||[[June 28]] <br> 19:55 [[GMT]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-4]] ||[[Wallops Flight Facility|Wallops Island]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Geophysical Research Sat]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Geophysical experiments ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[June 29]] <br> 22:33 [[GMT]] ||[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-B]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Samos (satellite)|Samos F2-4]] (Ferret 3) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[July 10]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos (19b)]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||N/A ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[July 12]] <br> 20:38 [[GMT]] ||[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-7 1 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[July 19]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 23 (KH-4 9057) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- | rowspan=4 |[[July 19]] <br> 03:50 [[GMT]] | rowspan=4 |[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-B]] | rowspan=4 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=4 |[[US Air Force]] ||[[MIDAS 9]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth orbit|MEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A | rowspan=4 |Successful | rowspan=4 | |- ||TRS-9 (ERS-9) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth orbit|MEO]] ||Solar cell damage test ||N/A |- ||TRS-10 (ERS-10) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth orbit|MEO]] ||Solar cell damage test ||N/A |- ||Dash-2 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Medium Earth orbit|MEO]] ||Experimental balloon satellite ||[[April 12]], [[1971]] |- ||[[July 19]] <br> 18:20 [[GMT]] ||[[North American Aviation|North American]] [[X-15]] ||[[B-52]], [[Edwards AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[X-15 Flight 90|Flight 90]] <br> 1 Astronaut ([[Joseph A. Walker]]) ||[[US Air Force]]/[[NASA]] ||[[Sub-orbital]] ||Manned Spaceflight ||[[July 19]], [[1963]] <br> 18:31 [[GMT]] ||Successful ||First X-15 flight to qualify as spaceflight |- ||[[July 26]] <br> 14:38 [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Syncom|Syncom 2]] ||[[NASA]], [[US Department of Defense|DoD]] ||[[Geosynchronous orbit]] ||[[Communications satellite]] ||Still in orbit ||Successful ||First successful geosynchronous satellite |- ||[[July 31]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-6 3 (KH-6 8003) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful ||Camera failed after 32 hours |- ||[[August 6]] <br> 06:00 [[GMT]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 19]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[August 22]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos (20)]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[August 23]] <br> 18:05 [[GMT]] ||[[North American Aviation|North American]] [[X-15]] ||[[B-52]], [[Edwards AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[X-15 Flight 91|Flight 91]] <br> 1 Astronaut ([[Joseph A. Walker]]) ||[[US Air Force]]/[[NASA]] ||[[Sub-orbital]] ||Manned Spaceflight ||[[August 23]], [[1963]] <br> 18:17 [[GMT]] ||Successful ||Second and last X-15 flight to qualify as spaceflight. First instance of a single spacecraft making two flights |- ||[[August 24]] <br> 00:30 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 A1 (KH-4A 1001) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- | rowspan=2 |[[August 29]] <br> 19:12 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Air Force]] ||KH-5 9 (KH-4 9033) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A | rowspan=2 |Successful | rowspan=2 | |- ||1963-035B ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Radar monitoring ||N/A |- ||[[September 9]] <br> 19:26 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-7 2 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[September 23]] <br> 22:48 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 A2 (KH-4A 1002) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[September 27]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-2B]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Defense Meteorological Satellite Program|DMSP-1A F3]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Military [[weather satellite]] ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- | rowspan=2 |[[September 28]] <br> 20:09 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Able-Star]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Navy]] ||[[Transit (satellite)|Transit 5E 1]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Space physics ||November 1974 (last data) | rowspan=2 |Successful | rowspan=2 | |- ||[[Transit (satellite)|Transit 5BN 1]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Satellite navigation system]] ||Still in orbit (since 1996 as NIMS) |- | rowspan=3 |[[October 17]] <br> 02:24 [[GMT]] | rowspan=3 |[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-D]] | rowspan=3 |[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 13|LC-13]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] | rowspan=3 |[[US Air Force]] ||ERS 12 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Highly Elliptical Orbit|HEO]] ||Space physics ||N/A | rowspan=3 |Successful | rowspan=3 |Vela spacecrafts placed in 70,000 mile orbits |- ||[[Vela (satellite)|Vela 1A]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Supersynchronous Orbit]] ||Nuclear test ban control ||deactivated after 5 years |- ||[[Vela (satellite)|Vela 1B]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Supersynchronous Orbit]] ||Nuclear test ban control ||deactivated after 5 years |- ||[[October 18]] <br> 09:36 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 20]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[October 26]], [[1963]] ||Success ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[October 24]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos (21)]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||N/A ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- | rowspan=2 |[[October 25]] <br> 18:57 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-D]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Air Force]] ||KH-7 3 | rowspan=2 |[[US Air Force]] | rowspan=2 |[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] | rowspan=2 |Surveillance | rowspan=2 |N/A | rowspan=2 |Successful | rowspan=2 | |- ||1963-041B |- | rowspan=2 |[[October 29]] <br> 21:07 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Air Force]] ||KH-5 10 (KH-5 9059A) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A | rowspan=2 |Successful | rowspan=2 | |- ||Hitch Hiker 2 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Radio monitoring ||N/A |- ||[[November 1]] <br> 08:52 [[GMT]] ||11A59 I1 ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Polyot 1]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Spacecraft engineering ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[November 9]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 24 (1963-008X) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||'''Failure''' || |- ||[[November 11]] <br> 06:28 [[GMT]] ||[[Molniya (rocket)|Molniya]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos 21]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Zond test ||[[November 14]], [[1963]] ||Partial failure ||Probably a test for Venera flights, escape stage failed |- ||[[November 16]] <br> 10:48 [[GMT]] ||[[Voskhod rocket|Voskhod]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 22]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[November 27]] <br> 02:24 [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Explorer program|Explorer 18]] (IMP-A) ||[[NASA]] ||[[Highly Elliptical Orbit|HEO]] ||Magnetospheric research ||[[May 10]], [[1965]] (last signal) ||Successful || |- ||[[November 27]] <br> 18:57 [[GMT]] ||[[Centaur (rocket stage)|Atlas Centaur-B]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||Atlas Centaur 2 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Centaur performing test ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[November 27]] <br> 21:07 [[GMT]] ||[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 25 (KH-4 9061) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Partial failure ||Capsule was not recovered but remained in orbit |- ||[[November 28]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok-2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos (23)]] (Zenit-1) ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||N/A ||N/A ||'''Failure''' ||Upper stage failed |- | rowspan=2 |[[December 5]] <br> 21:51 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Able-Star]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Navy]] ||[[Transit (satellite)|Transit 5BN 2]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Satellite navigation system]] ||N/A ||Successful ||Nuclear powered |- ||[[Transit (satellite)|Transit 5E 3]] ||[[US Navy]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Satellite navigation system]] ||N/A ||Successful ||Solar powered |- ||[[December 13]] <br> 13:55 [[GMT]] ||Kosmos ||[[Kapustin Yar]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 23]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Engineering, space science ||[[March 27]], [[1964]] ||Successful || |- ||[[December 18]] <br> 21:50 [[GMT]] ||[[Atlas (missile)|Atlas Agena-D]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[US Air Force]] ||KH-7 4 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A ||Successful || |- ||[[December 19]] <br> 09:21 [[GMT]] ||[[Vostok rocket|Vostok 2]] ||[[Baikonur]] ||USSR ||[[Cosmos (satellite)|Cosmos 24]] ||USSR ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||[[December 28]], [[1963]] ||Successful ||Capsule recovered |- ||[[December 19]] <br> 18:43 [[GMT]] ||[[Scout (rocket)|Scout X-4]] ||[[Vandenberg AFB]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Explorer program|Explorer 19]] (AD A) ||[[NASA]] ||[[Low Earth Orbit|LEO]] ||Atmospheric density measurement ||N/A ||Successful ||Balloon satellite |- ||[[December 21]] <br> 09:21 <!-- or 09:30? --> [[GMT]] ||[[Delta rocket|Delta-B]] ||[[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17|LC-17]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[TIROS|TIROS 8]] ||[[NASA]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||[[Weather satellite]] ||[[July 1]], [[1967]] (deactivated) ||Successful || |- | rowspan=2 |[[December 21]] <br> 21:45 [[GMT]] | rowspan=2 |[[PGM-17 Thor|Thor Agena-D]] | rowspan=2 |[[Vandenberg AFB]] | rowspan=2 |[[US Air Force]] ||KH-4 26 (KH-4 9062) ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Surveillance ||N/A | rowspan=2 |Successful | rowspan=2 | |- ||Hitch Hiker 3 ||[[US Air Force]] ||[[Low Earth orbit|LEO]] ||Radar monitoring ||N/A |- |} == Deep Space Rendez-vous in 1963 == *[[April 5]] — [[Luna 4]] missed Moon by 8,336 km (lander mission) *[[June 19]] — [[Mars 1]] flyby of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] (193,000 km), communication lost en route ==References== {{TLS-R}} <br> {{start box}} {{succession box | title=[[Timeline of spaceflight]] | years= [[1963]] | before=[[1962 in spaceflight|1962]] | after=[[1964 in spaceflight|1964]]}} {{end}} [[Category:Space lists]] [[Category:Timelines of spaceflight|63]] [[Category:1963 in space exploration]]