Astronautical and Aeronautical Events of 1962 - NASA's History Office

Date
-.
1068
Apr 22
Aug 31
Sep 11
Sep 21
Oct :
Oct :
Oct li
Name
RANGER IV ________
Saturn _______ ~ ..._
Re-entry _ ___ ._
NASA
Code
P35
..-- -.
- - - - - -
Qeneral Mission
Scientific lunar lander.
TIROS VI ___..__._.
A-51
ALOUETTE I _._..__ s-27
lite.
EXPLORER XIV---- S-3a Scientific earth satel-
SIGMA 7 ___._____._
M A-E
RANGER V ____.___
P-36
Launch
Vehicle
(Site)
Atlas-Agena
B (AMR).
Apr 2:
SA-2
Saturn C-1
(AMR) .
Apr 2t ARIEL I _____._.._.
5-51
Thor-Delta
lite.
(AMR).
May f Centaur- - ____ ____ F-1 Launch vehicle de- Atlas-Centaur
velopment test.
(AMR) .
May 26 AURORA 7 _________ MA-7 Orbital manned Mer- Mercurycury
fiight.
Atlas (AMR).
Jun 1s TIROS V. ____ ____ A-50 Meteorological earth Thor-Delta
satellite.
(AMR).
Jul 1( TELST.4R I _________ A40 Communications Thor-Delta
earth satellite.
(AMR).
Jul If Echo (test) _______ AVT-2 Suborbital commu- Thor (AMR).
nications test.
Jul 2: MARINER I ____.___
P-37 Scientific Venus probe Atlas-Agena
B (AMR).
Aug 2: MARINER n ________ P-38 Scientific Venus probe Atlas-Agena
B (AMR).
scout (WS).
Thor-Delta
(AMR).
Thor-Agena
B (PMR).
Thor-Delta
(AMR).
Mercury-
Atlas (AMR).
Atlas-Agena
B (AMR).
Performance
Mission
Results
Vehicle /I Payload Remarks
First U.S spacecraft to land on moon. crashed
onto moon, timer failure causing 10;s of control
over spacecraft. no midcourse correction,
TV, or lunar-capsuie separation.
1st stage only. Project Highwater utilized
dummy upper stages.
First international satellite; explored ionosuhere
(UK X1).
Centaur exploded before separation.
Carpenter fiight, 3 orbits.
Orbit more elliptical than planned; infrared
system failed prior to launch.
First active communications satellite; owned
by AT&T launched by NASA
Inflation buccessful; radar indicated sphere
surface not as smooth as planned.
Atlas deviated from course, was destroyed by
Range Safety Officer. D-
First spacecraft to scan another planet; passed
21,100 mi. from Venus on December 14;
extended space communications record to
54.7 million mi.
Tardy 3rd-stage ignition; desired speed not
achieved.
Performed as planned.
Ionosphpre sounder satellite built by Canada.
First NASA satellite launch from PMR.
Energetic oarticles satellite. Hiehlv - " eccentric
orbit.
Schirra flight, 6 orbits; first astronaut recovery
in ._ Parific - - -
Payload, including mid-course guidance, did
not function because spacecraft failed to get
Dower from solar cells. Passed within 450
miles of the moon.