1956 in spaceflight

1956 in spaceflight

The Jupiter-C rocket made its maiden flight in 1956
Rockets
Maiden flights	Aerobee AJ10-34 Nike-Cajun Terrapin Jupiter-C R-1UK R-5RD R-5R Kappa 1
Retirements	Aerobee XASR-SC-1 Aerobee RTV-A-1a Deacon rockoon Nike-Nike-T40-T55 R-1E R-1UK R-5RD R-5R
v t e

Preparation for the 18-month International Geophysical Year (IGY), scheduled to begin July 1957, became a truly international endeavor in 1956. The American IGY satellite program, Project Vanguard, saw its first test launch at the end of the year, while the Army Ballistic Missile Agency tested Redstone-derived rockets, culminating in the Jupiter-C capable of orbiting a satellite. The Soviet Union developed the engines and tested vital components for its first ICBM, the R-7 Semyorka, which would fly the USSR's first artificial satellite, "Object D:

Japan developed the Kappa 1 sounding rocket with an eye toward an advanced version that would fly during the IGY, and Canada, with the assistance of the United States, established a sounding rocket range in Churchill, Manitoba. In Italy, Rome hosted the Seventh International Aeronautical Congress, which saw 400 delegates from the scientific community and representatives of (mostly American) industry gather to discuss the technical aspects of spaceflight.

Both superpowers conducted a multitude of sounding rocket flights, probing the upper atmosphere with increasing sophistication and cadence. In addition, the Soviets completed a series of capsule launches, each with two dog passengers—a prelude to human missions in space.