Pioneer 0 | Able I | 17 August 1958 | Thor DM-18 Able I | United States | USAF | Orbiter | Launch failure | First attempted launch beyond Earth orbit; failed to orbit due to turbopump gearbox malfunction resulting in first-stage explosion. Reached apogee of 16 kilometres (9.9 mi). | [3, 4] |
Luna E-1 No.1 | nan | 23 September 1958 | Luna | Soviet Union | OKB-1 | Impactor | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; rocket disintegrated due to excessive vibration. | [3, 5] |
Pioneer 1 | Able II | 11 October 1958 | Thor DM-18 Able I | United States | NASA | Orbiter | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; premature second-stage cutoff due to accelerometer failure. Later known as Pioneer 1. Reached apogee of 113,800 kilometres (70,700 mi). | [3, 6] |
Luna E-1 No.2 | nan | 11 October 1958 | Luna | Soviet Union | OKB-1 | Impactor | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; carrier rocket exploded due to excessive vibration. | [3, 5] |
Pioneer 2 | Able III | 8 November 1958 | Thor DM-18 Able I | United States | NASA | Orbiter | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; premature second-stage cutoff due to erroneous command by ground controllers; third stage failed to ignite due to broken electrical connection. Reached apogee of 1,550 kilometres (960 mi). | [3, 7] |
Luna E-1 No.3 | nan | 4 December 1958 | Luna | Soviet Union | OKB-1 | Impactor | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; seal failure in hydrogen peroxide pump cooling system resulted in core-stage underperformance. | [3, 5] |
Pioneer 3 | nan | 6 December 1958 | Juno II | United States | NASA | Flyby | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; premature first-stage cutoff. Reached apogee of 102,360 kilometres (63,600 mi). | [3, 8] |
Luna 1 | E-1 No.4 | 2 January 1959 | Luna | Soviet Union | OKB-1 | Impactor | Launch Failure | Carrier rocket guidance problem resulted in failure to impact Moon, flew past in a heliocentric orbit. Closest approach 5,995 kilometres (3,725 mi) on 4 January. | [9, 10] |
Pioneer 4 | nan | 3 March 1959 | Juno II | United States | NASA | Flyby | Partial failure | Second-stage overperformance resulted in flyby at greater altitude than expected, out of instrument range, with 58,983 kilometres (36,650 mi) of distance. Closest approach at 22:25 UTC on 4 March. First U.S. spacecraft to leave Earth orbit. | [9, 11] |
E-1A No.1 | nan | 18 June 1959 | Luna | Soviet Union | OKB-1 | Impactor | Launch failure | Failed to orbit; guidance system malfunction. | [9] |