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Program archive
Early United States Space Program
Early United States Space Program is explored here through 51 archived missions, from Vanguard TV-0 through TIROS-10, with the program’s spacecraft, people, milestones, and source-backed history connected along the way.
- Missions
- 51
- People
- 0
- Vehicles
- 50
Explore this program
Choose a path through the Early United States Space Program archive.
Early United States Space Program timeline
50 flights. One complete program record.
Follow every archived flight from the earliest development test through the program’s latest flown mission, with its defining milestones and mission hardware connected along the way.
Every Early United States Space Program program record
All 51 flown and non-flight archive records arranged chronologically.
Launch corridor
50 flights and tests compressed into 3 expandable arcs · 1 unflown concept parked off the flight path.
- Arc 01Ignition1956–1959 · 24 records
- Arc 02On orbit1959–1961 · 18 records
- Arc 03Final approach1962–1965 · 8 records
Flight arc 01IgnitionVanguard TV-0 → Beacon 21956–1959 · 24 records1956–1959
24 records
December 8, 1956Vanguard TV-0001
May 1, 1957Vanguard TV-1002
October 23, 1957Vanguard TV-2003
February 5, 1958Vanguard TV-3BU004
March 5, 1958Explorer 2005
March 26, 1958Explorer 3006
April 28, 1958Vanguard TV-5007
May 27, 1958Vanguard SLV-1008
June 26, 1958Vanguard SLV-2009
July 26, 1958Explorer 4010
August 17, 1958Pioneer 0011
August 24, 1958Explorer 5012
September 26, 1958Vanguard SLV-3013
October 11, 1958Pioneer 1014
October 22, 1958Beacon 1015
November 8, 1958Pioneer 2016
December 6, 1958Pioneer 3017
February 17, 1959Vanguard 2018
March 3, 1959Pioneer 4019
April 13, 1959Vanguard SLV-5020
June 22, 1959Vanguard SLV-6021
July 16, 1959Explorer S-1022
August 7, 1959Explorer 6023
August 14, 1959Beacon 2024
Flight arc 02On orbitTransit 1A → Transit 4B1959–1961 · 18 records1959–1961
18 records
September 17, 1959Transit 1A025
September 18, 1959Vanguard 3026
October 13, 1959Explorer 7027
November 26, 1959Pioneer P-3028
March 11, 1960Pioneer 5029
April 1, 1960TIROS-1030
April 13, 1960Transit 1B031
May 13, 1960Echo 1 launch attempt032
June 22, 1960Transit 2A033
August 12, 1960Echo 1A034
September 25, 1960Pioneer P-30035
November 23, 1960TIROS-2036
November 30, 1960Transit 3A037
December 15, 1960Pioneer P-31038
February 22, 1961Transit 3B039
June 29, 1961Transit 4A040
July 12, 1961TIROS-3041
November 15, 1961Transit 4B042
