Launched 05:55 local time. Reached 161.1 km. Carried cosmic and solar radiation, photo experiments for Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University.

Bumper No. 7 was the second missile launch from Cape Canaveral. This was to be a maximum range test of a two-stage vehicle, to study the problems in staging. The launch was delayed because of moisture in the vehicle. But when finally launched, the WAC achieved the highest sustained speed in the atmosphere to that date (Mach 9/2500 m/s) and 35.2 km altitude before impacting 305 km downrange.

Electrical failure. No payload recovery. Carried dogs. References: 283 , 344 .

First Rockoon (balloon-launched rocket) launched from icebreaker Eastwind off Greenland by ONR group under James A. Van Allen. Rockoon low-cost technique was conceived during Aerobee firing cruse of the Norton Soun in March 1949, and was later used by ONR and University of Iowa research groups in 1953-55 and 1957, from ships in sea between Boston and Thule, Greenland. References: 17 .

Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 'On transferring all missile work on guided missiles to the Ministry of Medium Machine Building' was issued. References: 474 .

President Eisenhower endorsed the IGY proposal for the launching of small earth-circling satellites. References: 483 .

NACA flight 12. Enlarged wing tips installed to simulate wing tips to be used with reaction controls. Mach 1.55 at 18,300 m. References: 49 , 97 .

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, Public Law 85-568, which established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). References: 16 .

ARPA gives Von Braun team contract to develop Saturn I (called 'cluster's last stand' due to design concept). References: 86 , 27 .

Mercury-Atlas 1 (MA-1) was launched from the Atlantic Missile Range in a test of spacecraft structural integrity under maximum heating conditions. After 58.5 seconds of flight, MA-1 exploded and the spacecraft was destroyed upon impact off-shore. None of the primary capsule test objectives were met. The mission objectives were to check the integrity of the spacecraft structure and afterbody shingles for a reentry associated with a critical abort and to evaluate the open-loop performance of the Atlas abort-sensing instrumentation system. The spacecraft contained no escape system and no test subject. Standard posigrade rockets were used to separate the spacecraft from the Atlas, but the retrorockets were dummies. The flight was terminated because of a launch vehicle and adapter structural failure. The spacecraft was destroyed upon impact with the water because the recovery system was not designed to actuate under the imposed flight conditions. Later most of the spacecraft, the booster engines, and the liquid oxygen vent valve were recovered from the ocean floor. Since none of the primary flight objectives was achieved, Mercury-Atlas 2 (MA-2) was planned to fulfill the mission. References: 5 , 16 , 126 .

Maximum Speed - 5250 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23774 m. First test of various heat-resistant panels attached to fuselage. References: 38 , 49 , 97 .

KH-8 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

NASA issued a tentative planning schedule for the Apollo program:

Flight	Launch Plans	Tentative Landing Area
Apollo 12	November 1969	Oceanus Procellarum lunar lowlands
Apollo 13	March 1970	Fra Mauro highlands
Apollo 14	July 1970	Crater Censorinus highlands
Apollo 15	November 1970	Littrow volcanic area
Apollo 16	April 1971	Crater Tycho (Surveyor VII impact area)
Apollo 17	September 1971	Marius Hills volcanic domes
Apollo 18	February 1972	Schroter's Valley, riverlike channel-ways
Apollo 19	July 1972	Hyginus Rille region-Linear Rille, crater area
Apollo 20	December 1972	Crater Copernicus, large crater impact area

References: 16 .

Possible Fractional Orbital Bombardment System test. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Evidently a unique experimental satellite. Arrangements for experimental television broadcasts and establishment of long-range radio-communications. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 274 .

Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Military navigation satellite. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .

Retrieved material samples and equipment. References: 66 .

3rd generation, medium resolution photo surveillance; film capsule; also performed earth resources tasks. Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .

Manned seven crew. At 5 minutes, 45 seconds into ascent the number one engine shut down prematurely and an abort to orbit was declared. Despite the anomaly the mission continued. Launched PDP; carried Spacelab 2. Payloads: Spacelab-2 with 13 experiments, Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), Protein Crystal Growth (PCG). The flight crew was divided into a red and blue team. Each team worked 12-hour shifts for 24-hour-a-day operation. Additional Details: STS-51-F. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 33 .

Plasma Diagnostics Package; released by STS 51F 8/1/85, retrieved 8/2/85. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Oceanographic. Acquisition of operational oceanographic information in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation; continued trials of new types of informational and measurement apparatus and methods of remote sen sing of the earth's surface and atmosphere. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Topographic mapping for the Army General Staff. Landed September 11 1994. References: 2 , 6 , 101 , 102 .