1962 in spaceflight (January–March)

This is a list of spaceflights launched between January and March 1962. For launches in the rest of the year, see 1962 in spaceflight (April–June), 1962 in spaceflight (July–September) and 1962 in spaceflight (October–December). For an overview of the whole year, see 1962 in spaceflight.

Launches

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

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload (⚀ = CubeSat)	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
January
4 January	R-16U			Baikonur Site 41/4		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	4 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
5 January 15:00:02	LGM-30A Minuteman IA			Cape Canaveral LC-31B		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	5 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
11 January	R-14U Chusovaya			Kapustin Yar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	11 January	Successful
		Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
13 January 16:15	Aerobee-150A			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Test flight	13 January	Successful
		Apogee: 209 kilometres (130 mi)
13 January 21:41	Thor DM-21 Agena-B			Vandenberg LC-75-3-4		US Air Force
		Discoverer 37 (KH-3 9030)	NRO/CIA	Intended: Low Earth	Optical imaging	13 January	Launch Failure
		SRV-571	NRO/CIA	Intended: Low Earth	Film return
		Last KH-3 launch, failed to orbit
13 January	R-14 Chusovaya			Kapustin Yar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	13 January	Successful
		Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
13 January	R-16U			Baikonur Site 41/4		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	13 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
15 January 11:07:01	Thor DSV-2D			Cape Canaveral LC-17A		US Air Force
			NASA	Suborbital	Test flight	15 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi)
16 January 18:59:59	MGM-31 Pershing I			Cape Canaveral LC-30A		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	16 January	Successful
		Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
16 January	Aerobee-150 (Hi)			White Sands LC-35		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Solar	16 January	Successful
		Apogee: 200 kilometres (120 mi)
16 January	R-16U			Baikonur Site 41/4		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	16 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
17 January 21:02:26	SM-65D Atlas			Vandenberg LC-576B-2		Strategic Air Command
			Strategic Air Command	Suborbital	Missile test	17 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
17 January	R-16U			Baikonur Site 41/4		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	17 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
18 January	Nike-Zeus			White Sands		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	18 January	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
21 January 00:57	HGM-25A Titan I			Vandenberg LC-395A-3		Strategic Air Command
			Strategic Air Command	Suborbital	Missile test	21 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
22 January	R-14 Chusovaya			Kapustin Yar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	22 January	Successful
		Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
23 January 17:05:37	UGM-27 Polaris A2			Cape Canaveral LC-29A		US Navy
			US Navy	Suborbital	Missile test	23 January	Launch failure
23 January 21:28:27	SM-65D Atlas			Vandenberg LC-576B-3		Strategic Air Command
			Strategic Air Command	Suborbital	Missile test	23 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
24 January 09:30	Thor DM-21 Ablestar			Cape Canaveral LC-17B		US Air Force
		LOFTI 2A	US Navy/NRL	Intended: Low Earth	Technology Ionospheric	24 January	Launch failure
		SECOR (ERGS)	US Army	Intended: Low Earth	Geodesy
		Solrad 4 (GRAB-4)	US Navy/NRL	Intended: Low Earth	Radiation ELINT
		Injun 2	Iowa	Intended: Low Earth	Ionospheric
		SURCAL 1	NRL	Intended: Low Earth	Calibration
		Failed to orbit
25 January 03:26	MGM-31 Pershing I			Cape Canaveral LC-30A		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	25 January	Successful
		Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
25 January 14:59:48	LGM-30A Minuteman IA			Cape Canaveral LC-31B		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	25 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
25 January 22:02	Nike-Zeus			Point Mugu		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	25 January	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
25 January	R-16U			Baikonur Site 41/4		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	25 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
26 January 20:30	Atlas LV-3A Agena-B			Cape Canaveral LC-12		US Air Force
		Ranger 3 (P-34)	NASA	Heliocentric	Lunar impactor	In orbit	Launch failure
		Upper stage guidance malfunction, missed Moon by 36,874 kilometres (22,912 mi)
27 January	R-12 Dvina			Kapustin Yar		MVS
			MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	27 January	Successful
		Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
27 January	R-14 Chusovaya			Kapustin Yar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	27 January	Successful
		Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
29 January 20:00	Astrobee-200			Eglin		US Air Force
			AFCRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	29 January	Successful
		Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
29 January 23:30:56	HGM-25A Titan I			Cape Canaveral LC-19		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	29 January	Successful
		Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
30 January	R-12 Dvina			Kapustin Yar		MVS
			MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	30 January	Successful
		Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
February
1 February	Nike-Zeus 3			White Sands LC-38		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	1 February	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
5 February 20:58	Skylark-5C			Woomera LA-2		RAE
			RAE/WRE	Suborbital	Test flight	5 February	Successful
		Apogee: 215 kilometres (134 mi)
7 February 04:38	Aerobee-150A			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	UV Astronomy	7 February	Launch failure
		Apogee: 4 kilometres (2.5 mi)
7 February 11:50	Javelin			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Ionospheric	7 February	Successful
		Apogee: 960 kilometres (600 mi)
7 February	Nike-Zeus			White Sands LC-38		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	7 February	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
8 February 12:43:45	Thor DM-19 Delta			Cape Canaveral LC-17A		US Air Force
		Tiros-4 (Tiros-D)	NASA	Low Earth	Weather	In orbit	Successful
		Last signal received on 30 June
11 February	R-14U Chusovaya			Kapustin Yar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	11 February	Successful
		Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
12 February	Nike-Zeus			Point Mugu		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	12 February	Launch failure
		Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)
13 February 20:55	SM-65E Atlas			Cape Canaveral LC-13		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	13 February	Successful
		Apogee: 1,600 kilometres (990 mi)
15 February 15:35:53	LGM-30A Minuteman IA			Cape Canaveral LC-31B		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	15 February	Successful
		Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
16 February 23:04	SM-65D Atlas			Vandenberg LC-576B-2		Strategic Air Command
			Strategic Air Command	Suborbital	Missile test	16 February	Successful
		Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
17 February 19:43	Aerobee-150 (Hi)			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Technology	17 February	Successful
		Apogee: 157 kilometres (98 mi)
17 February	R-12 Dvina			Kapustin Yar		MVS
			MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	17 February	Successful
		Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
17 February	R-12 Dvina			Kapustin Yar		MVS
			MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	17 February	Successful
		Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
20 February 01:00:01	MGM-31 Pershing I			Cape Canaveral LC-30A		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	20 February	Successful
		Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
20 February 13:28	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	20 February	Successful
		Apogee: 132 kilometres (82 mi)
20 February 14:47:39	Atlas LV-3B			Cape Canaveral LC-14		US Air Force
		Mercury-Atlas 6	NASA	Low Earth	Test flight	19:43:02	Successful
		Carried astronaut John Glenn, first US manned orbital spaceflight
21 February 18:44	Thor DM-21 Agena-B			Vandenberg LC-75-3-5		US Air Force
		FTV-2301 (Ferret/Samos-F2 1)	US Air Force	Low Earth	ELINT	9 March	Partial launch failure
		Upper stage failed to restart, placed in lower orbit than planned
21 February 22:30	SM-65D Atlas			Vandenberg LC-576B-3		Strategic Air Command
			Strategic Air Command	Suborbital	Missile test	21 February	Launch failure
		Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
21 February	R-12 Dvina			Kapustin Yar		MVS
			MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	21 February	Successful
		Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
21 February	RAM-A			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	REV Test	21 February	Successful
		Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
23 February	HGM-25A Titan I			Vandenberg LC-395A-1
				Suborbital	Missile test	23 February	Launch failure
		Apogee: 50 kilometres (31 mi)
24 February	R-21			Project 658 Submarine,		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	24 February	Successful
		Apogee: 293 kilometres (182 mi)
27 February 19:39	Thor DM-21 Agena-B			Vandenberg LC-75-3-4		US Air Force
		Discoverer 38 (KH-4 9031)	NRO/CIA	Low Earth	Optical imaging	21 March	Partial spacecraft failure
		SRV-581	NRO/CIA	Low Earth	Film return	3 March	Successful
		First KH-4 launch, returned unfocused images
March
1 March 00:14:09	SM-65E Atlas			Vandenberg OSTF-1		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	1 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,600 kilometres (990 mi)
1 March 05:07	Scout X-1A			Wallops Island LA-3		NASA
		P-21A	NASA	Suborbital	REV Test	1 March	Successful
		Apogee: 214 kilometres (133 mi), only flight of Scout X-1A
1 March 17:07	Nike-Cajun			Eglin		US Air Force
			AFCRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	1 March	Successful
		Apogee: 144 kilometres (89 mi)
1 March 19:45:01	UGM-27 Polaris A2			Cape Canaveral LC-29A		US Navy
			US Navy	Suborbital	Missile test	1 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
1 March 23:23	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			GCA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	1 March	Successful
		Apogee: 135 kilometres (84 mi)
1 March 23:30	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Test flight	1 March	Launch failure
		Apogee: 16 kilometres (9.9 mi)
2 March 00:05	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 March	Successful
		Apogee: 113 kilometres (70 mi)
2 March 10:47	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Test flight	2 March	Successful
		Apogee: 145 kilometres (90 mi)
2 March 10:54	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			GCA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 March	Successful
		Apogee: 134 kilometres (83 mi)
2 March 11:15	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	2 March	Successful
		Apogee: 115 kilometres (71 mi)
3 March	R-16U			Baikonur		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	3 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,210 kilometres (750 mi)
5 March 09:55	Skylark-2			Woomera LA-2		RAE
			UCL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	5 March	Successful
		Apogee: 233 kilometres (145 mi)
5 March	Nike-Zeus 3			Kwajalein		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	5 March	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
6 March 12:35	Skylark-2			Woomera LA-2		RAE
			UCL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	6 March	Successful
		Apogee: 173 kilometres (107 mi)
6 March 13:30	Aerobee-150 (Hi)			White Sands LC-35		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	6 March	Successful
		Apogee: 323 kilometres (201 mi)
6 March	R-12 Dvina			Kapustin Yar		MVS
			MVS	Suborbital	Missile test	6 March	Successful
		Apogee: 402 kilometres (250 mi)
7 March 16:06:18	Thor DM-19 Delta			Cape Canaveral LC-17A		US Air Force
		OSO-1 (OSO-A)	NASA	Low Earth	Solar	8 October 1981	Successful
		Last signal received in May 1964
7 March 22:10:31	Atlas LV-3A Agena-B			Point Arguello LC-1-2		US Air Force
		Samos 6	US Air Force	Low Earth	Optical imaging	3 November	Successful
		Samos 6 RV	US Air Force	Low Earth	Optical imaging	7 June 1963	Spacecraft failure
		RV recovery failed, resulting in termination of Samos film-return programme
8 March 15:23:51	LGM-30A Minuteman IA			Cape Canaveral LC-31B		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	8 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
9 March 00:16	Nike-Zeus 3			Point Mugu		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	9 March	Launch failure
		Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)
13 March	Nike-Zeus 3			White Sands LC-38		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	13 March	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
13 March	Nike-Zeus 3			White Sands LC-38		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	13 March	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
14 March	Terrier-Asp IV			Point Arguello LC-B		US Navy
			NOTS	Suborbital	Test flight	14 March	Successful
		Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
15 March 23:31:50	MGM-31 Pershing I			Cape Canaveral LC-30A		US Army
			US Army	Suborbital	Missile test	15 March	Successful
		Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
16 March 11:59	Kosmos-2I 63S1			Kapustin Yar Mayak-2
		Kosmos 1 (DS-2 #1)		Low Earth	Ionospheric Technology	25 May	Successful
16 March 18:08:58	LGM-25C Titan II			Cape Canaveral LC-16		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	16 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
16 March	Nike-Cajun			Eglin		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Aeronomy	16 March	Successful
		Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
19 March 11:04	Skylark-2			Woomera LA-2		RAE
			UCL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	19 March	Successful
		Apogee: 140 kilometres (87 mi)
19 March 15:30	Aerobee-150A			Wallops Island		NASA
			Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	19 March	Launch failure
		Apogee: 79 kilometres (49 mi)
19 March 23:28	PGM-17 Thor DM-18A			Vandenberg LE-7		Royal Air Force
			Royal Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	19 March	Successful
		Apogee: 520 kilometres (320 mi)
21 March	R-9 Desna			Baikonur		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	21 March	Launch failure
21 March	Dong Feng 2			Jiuquan LA-3		PLA
			PLA	Suborbital	Missile test	21 March	Launch failure
22 March	R-9 Desna			Baikonur		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	22 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,160 kilometres (720 mi)
23 March 01:30:02	LGM-30A Minuteman IA			Cape Canaveral LC-32B		US Air Force
			US Air Force	Suborbital	Missile test	23 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
23 March 23:44	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			GCA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	23 March	Successful
		Apogee: 142 kilometres (88 mi)
23 March 23:54	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA/Michigan	Suborbital	Aeronomy	23 March	Successful
		Apogee: 121 kilometres (75 mi)
24 March 00:39:32	SM-65D Atlas			Vandenberg LC-576B-2		Strategic Air Command
			Strategic Air Command	Suborbital	Missile test	24 March	Successful
		Apogee: 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi)
26 March 19:03	NOTS-EV-2 Caleb			F4H Phantom II, Point Arguello		NOTS
			NOTS/NRL	Suborbital	Aeronomy	26 March	Launch failure
		Apogee: 21 kilometres (13 mi)
27 March 23:48	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			GCA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	27 March	Successful
		Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi)
28 March 00:03	Nike-Cajun			Wallops Island		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Aeronomy	28 March	Successful
		Apogee: 123 kilometres (76 mi)
28 March	R-5A Pobeda			Chelkar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Target	28 March	Successful
		Apogee: 500 kilometres (310 mi)
29 March 07:27	Scout X-2			Wallops Island LA-3		NASA
			NASA	Suborbital	Plasma research Aeronomy	29 March	Successful
		Apogee: 6,291 kilometres (3,909 mi), maiden flight of Scout X-2
29 March 09:28	HAD			Woomera LA-2		WRE
			WRE	Suborbital	Aeronomy	29 March	Successful
		Apogee: 125 kilometres (78 mi)
30 March	UGM-27 Polaris A2			Cape Canaveral LC-25A		US Navy
			US Navy	Suborbital	Missile test	30 March	Launch failure
March	RT-1			Kapustin Yar		RVSN
			RVSN	Suborbital	Missile test	March	Launch failure
		Apogee: 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)

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

References

• Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
• Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
• Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
• Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
• Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
• McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
• Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
• Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
• Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
• Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
• "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
• "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
• "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• "Space Information Center". JAXA.
• "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).

Generic references:
Spaceflight portal