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Orbital Launches of 1961

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ID Date Payload(s) Launch Vehicle Site Remark
January
1961 α (001) 31.01.1961 Samos-E1 2 (Samos 2)
Samos-F1 2
Atlas-LV3 Agena-A Va LC-1-1
February
1961 β (002) 04.02.1961 Venera (1a) (Sputnik 7, 1VA #1) Molniya Ba LC-1/5 Partial Failure
1961 γ (003) 12.02.1961 Venera 1 (Sputnik 8, 1VA #2) Molniya Ba LC-1/5
1961 δ (004) 16.02.1961 Explorer 9 (S-56a) Scout-X1 WI LA-3
1961 ε (005) 17.02.1961 KH-5 1 (Argon 1, Corona 20, Mission 9014A, Discoverer 20) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4
1961 ζ (006) 18.02.1961 RM 2 (Corona 21, Discoverer 21) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-5
1961 η (007) 22.02.1961 Transit 3B
LOFTI 1
Thor-DM21 Able-Star CC LC-17B Partial Failure
1961-F01 25.02.1961 Explorer (10) (S 45) Juno-2 CC LC-26B Failure
March
1961 θ (008) 09.03.1961 Korabl-Sputnik 4 (Sputnik 9, Vostok-3KA #1) Vostok-K Ba LC-1/5
1961 ι (009) 25.03.1961 Explorer 10 (P 14) Delta CC LC-17A
1961 κ (010) 25.03.1961 Korabl-Sputnik 5 (Sputnik 10, Vostok-3KA #2) Vostok-K Ba LC-1/5
1961-F02 30.03.1961 KH-2 4 (Corona 22, Mission 9015, Discoverer 22, Soctop 5) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4 Failure
April
1961 λ (011) 08.04.1961 KH-5 2 (Argon 2, Corona 23, Mission 9016A, Discoverer 23) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-5
1961 μ (012) 12.04.1961 Vostok 1 (Vostok-3KA #3) Vostok-K Ba LC-1/5
1961-F03 25.04.1961 Mercury MA-3 (Mercury 8) Atlas-D Mercury CC LC-14 Failure
1961 ν (013) 27.04.1961 Explorer 11 (S 15) Juno-2 CC LC-26B
May
1961-F04 24.05.1961 Explorer (12) (S 45a) Juno-2 CC LC-26B Failure
June
1961-F05 08.06.1961 KH-5 3 (Argon 3, Corona 24, Mission 9018A, Discoverer 24) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4 Failure
1961 ξ (014) 16.06.1961 KH-2 5 (Corona 25, Mission 9017, Discoverer 25, Taki (1), Soctop 6) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-1-1
1961 ο (015) 29.06.1961 Transit 4A
Injun 1
Grab 2 (Dyno SV3, Solrad 3)
Thor-DM21 Able-Star CC LC-17B Partial Failure
1961-F06 30.06.1961 Explorer (12) (S 55) Scout-X1 WI LA-3 Failure
July
1961 π (016) 07.07.1961 KH-2 6 (Corona 26, Mission 9019, Discoverer 26, Wild Bill, Soctop 7) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-5
1961 ρ (017) 12.07.1961 TIROS 3 (A 3) Delta CC LC-17A
1961 σ (018) 12.07.1961 MIDAS 3 Atlas-LV3 Agena-B Va LC-1-2
1961-F07 21.07.1961 KH-5 4 (Argon 4, Corona 27, Mission 9020A, Discoverer 27) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4 Failure
August
1961-F08 04.08.1961 KH-2 7 (Corona 28, Mission 2021, Discoverer 28, Taki (2), Soctop 8) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-1-1 Failure
1961 τ (019) 06.08.1961 Vostok 2 (Vostok-3KA #4) Vostok-K Ba LC-1/5
1961 υ (020) 16.08.1961 Explorer 12 (EPE A) Delta CC LC-17A
1961 φ (021) 23.08.1961 Ranger 1 (P 32) Atlas-LV3 Agena-B CC LC-12 Partial Failure
1961 χ (022) 25.08.1961 Explorer 13 (S 55a) Scout-X1 WI LA-3 Partial Failure
1961 ψ (023) 30.08.1961 KH-3 1 (Corona 29, Mission 9023, Discoverer 29, Texas Pint) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4
September
1961-F09 09.09.1961 Samos-E2 1 (Samos 3) Atlas-LV3 Agena-B Va LC-1-1 Failure
1961 ω (024) 12.09.1961 KH-3 2 (Corona 30, Mission 9022, Discoverer 30, Topsoc 1) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-5
1961 αα (025) 13.09.1961 Mercury MA-4 (Mercury 8A) Atlas-D Mercury CC LC-14
1961 αβ (026) 17.09.1961 KH-3 3 (Corona 31, Mission 9024, Discoverer 31, Topsoc 2) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-1-1
October
1961 αγ (027) 13.10.1961 KH-3 4 (Corona 32, Mission 9025, Discoverer 32, Topsoc 3) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4
1961 αδ (028) 21.10.1961 MIDAS 4
West Ford 1
Atlas-LV3 Agena-B Va LC-1-2
1961-F10 23.10.1961 KH-2 8 (Corona 33, Mission 9026, Discoverer 33) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-5 Failure
1961-F11 27.10.1961 Kosmos (1a) (DS-1 #1) Kosmos KY Mayak-2 Failure
November
1961-F12 01.11.1961 Mercury Scout 1 (MNTV 1, MS 1) Blue Scout-2 CC LC-18B Failure
1961 αε (029) 05.11.1961 KH-2 9 (Corona 34, Mission 9027, Discoverer 34, Topsoc 4) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-1-1
1961 αζ (030) 15.11.1961 KH-2 10 (Corona 35, Mission 9028, Discoverer 35) Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4
1961 αη (031) 15.11.1961 Transit 4B
TRAAC
Thor-DM21 Able-Star CC LC-17B
1961 αθ (032) 18.11.1961 Ranger 2 (P 33) Atlas-LV3 Agena-B CC LC-12 Partial Failure
1961-F13 22.11.1961 Samos-E5 1 (Samos 4) Atlas-LV3 Agena-B Va LC-1-1 Failure
1961 αι (033) 29.11.1961 Mercury MA-5 (Mercury 9) Atlas-D Mercury CC LC-14
December
1961-F14 11.12.1961 Kosmos (1b) (Zenit-2 #1) Vostok-K Ba LC-1/5 Failure
1961 ακ (034) 12.12.1961 KH-3 5 (Corona 36, Mission 9029, Discoverer 36, Grape Juice 1)
OSCAR 1
Thor-DM21 Agena-B Va 75-3-4
1961-F15 21.12.1961 Kosmos (1c) (DS-1 #2) Kosmos KY Mayak-2 Failure
1961 αμ (035) 22.12.1961 Samos-E5 2 (Samos 5, S.T. Low 1) Atlas-LV3 Agena-B Va LC-1-2

Launch sites:

Ba = Baikonur (Tyuratam, NIIP-5, GIK-5), Tyuratam, USSR USSR
CC = Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Eastern Test Range, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA USA
KY = Kapustin Yar (GTsP-4, GTsMP-4), Volgograd, USSR USSR
Va = Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA USA
WI = Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, USA USA
1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 195719581959   •   1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979   •   1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999   •   2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
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