1960
January 2
John Reynolds sets age of solar system at 4,950,000,000 years. [1]
January 21
Little Joe 4 suborbital Mercury test reaches 16 km. [1]
January 28
First photograph bounced off Moon, Washington DC. [1]
March 11
Pioneer 5 launched into solar orbit between Earth and Venus. [1]
March 15
National Observatory at Kitt Peak, Arizona dedicated. [1]
March 23
Explorer (
fails to reach Earth orbit. [1]
April 1
RCA TIROS (TV and Infra-Red Observation 'weather' Satellite) I launched. [1]
April 4
Project Ozma begins at Green Bank radio astronomy center. [1]
April 11
First weather satellite launched (Tiros 1). [1]
April 13
Transit 1B, first navigational satellite, placed in Earth orbit. [1]
May 13
First launch of Delta satellite launching vehicle; it failed. [1]
May 14
USSR launch first (unmanned) space capsule. [1]
May 15
Sputnik 4 launched into Earth orbit; later recovery failed. [1]
July 12
Echo I, first passive satellite launched. [1]
USSR's Sputnik 5 launched with two dogs. [1]
July 20
USSR recovered two dogs; first living organisms to return from space. [1]
July 29
J Schubart discovers asteroid #2000 Herschel. [1]
August 10
Discoverer 13 launched into orbit; returned first object from space. [1]
August 12
Echo 1, first communications satellite, is launched. [1]
August 18
First photograph bounced off a satellite, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. [1]
August 19
Sputnik 5 carries two dogs, three mice into orbit (later recovered alive). [1]
August 20
USSR recovers two dogs; first living organisms to return from space. [1]
October 4
Courier 1B Launched; first active repeater satellite in orbit. [1]
October 24
Disaster on USSR launch pad, kills missile expert Nedelin and team (unconfirmed); USSR claims he was killed in plane crash. [1]
November 12
Mercury-Redstone 1 test launch fails at 10 cm altitude. [1]
November 23
Tiros 2, a weather satellite is launched. [1]
December 19
Mercury-Redstone 1A reaches 210 km in test flight. [1]
