1956 April - -
 Soviet General Staff briefed on military applications of satellites. Nation: USSR. In two hours of key discussions the General Staff were briefed on the future uses of satellites - communications, reconnaissance, navigation, meteorology, geodesy. The fantastic vistas presented resulted in considerable scepticism.
1956 April 3 - -
 X-1E Flight 4 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1E flight 4. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1E. Crew: Walker Joseph. NACA flight 3. Mach 0.85 at 9150 m. Damping characteristics good; number 1 cylinder failed to fire. References: 49, 97.
1956 April 4 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: R-7. - First concrete poured at pad A at Tyuratam Nation: USSR. References: 78.
1956 April 7 - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho G-26. - First Navaho G-26 flight cruise stage delivered to Cape Canaveral Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. However continued problems and late delivery of the Auxiliary Power Unit pushed the planned first launch date from May to July. Three APU's were shipped before one was accepted. Attempts for a pad static test of the boost engines began in August. Seven attempts were made through the end of September. The fiberglass liquid oxygen tank insulation delaminated during the first propellant loading; chair springs were used to hold it on in subsequent tests. Helium lines ruptured; the engine was shut off after three seconds due to high gas generator temperatures; the G-26 cruise stage's landing gear deployed internally, cracking the skin; finally at the end of September a 34-second test was completed, but on ground power after the APU failed. The missile was pulled from the flight order and the first Broomstick flight canceled.
References: 221.
1956 April 12 - 02:05 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee RTV-A-1a. LV Configuration: Aerobee RTV-A-1a USAF 64. - Sodium Release 3 Ionosphere / aeronomy / chemica mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 106 km (65 mi). Sodium cloud, ionization research. Launched at 1005 local time. Reached 106.2 km. References: 2.
1956 April 15 - Launch Vehicle: Redstone. - First Redstone batallion formed. Nation: USA. The first Redstone missile battalion, the 217th Field Artillery Missile Battalion, was formally activated at Redstone Arsenal.
1956 April 16 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-1. Model: R-1 8A11. LV Configuration: R-1 8A11 No 0317. - Operational test Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 2.
1956 April 17 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC3. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: X-17. LV Configuration: X-17 R-1. - Re-entry Vehicle test Nation: USA. Agency: USAF 6555ATW. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 2.
1956 April 23 - Launch Vehicle: Redstone. - Army proposes Redstone satellite launch. Nation: USA. Army informed the OSD that a Jupiter missile could be fired in an effort to orbit a small satellite in January 1957. References: 17.
1956 April 25 - - X-2 Flight 7 Nation: USA. Payload: X-2 # 1 flight 7. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-2 . Crew: Everest. 3d powered flight, mach 1.4 at 15250 m. References: 49, 97.
1956 April 30 - - X-1E Flight 5 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1E flight 5. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1E. Crew: Walker Joseph. NACA flight 4. Turbopump did not start; no engine operation. References: 49, 97.
1956 May 1 - - X-2 Flight 8 Nation: USA. Payload: X-2 # 1 flight 8. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-2 . Crew: Everest. Fourth powered flight, mach 1.683 at 16,378 m. References: 49, 97.
1956 May - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. - Atlas production plant at Kearney Mesa Nation: USA. New Astronautics plant announced—$20 million funding by General Dynamics, with the Air Force to match, for tooling and special equipment References: 4460.
1956 May 3 - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. - Convair announced as the prime contractorfor the Atlas Nation: USA. The Air Force disclosed that a $41 million guided missile production facility would be built at Sorrento, California, for the Atlas launch vehicle. Convair was announced as the prime contractor. References: 483.
1956 May 8 - 14:54 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee AJ10-34. LV Configuration: Aerobee AJ10-34 USAF 65. - Far ultraviolet spectrometer / La imager Solar ultraviolet mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 143 km (88 mi). References: 2.
1956 May 8 - 15:15 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC35. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee Hi. LV Configuration: Aerobee Hi NRL 42. FAILURE: Failure. - RV-N-13a test Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 188 km (116 mi). Solar radiation research. Launched at 0754 local time. Reached 143.3 km. References: 2.
1956 May 11 - - X-1E Flight 6 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1E flight 6. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1E. Crew: Walker Joseph. NACA flight 5. Wind-up turns to Clmas from mach 0.69 to 0.84; also control pulses. References: 49, 97.
1956 May 11 - - X-2 Flight 9 Nation: USA. Payload: X-2 # 1 flight 9. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-2 . Crew: Everest. Fifth powered flight, mach 1.8 at 18,300 m. References: 49, 97.
1956 May 14 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-1. Model: R-1E. LV Configuration: R-1E 4. - Biological mission Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Payload, instruments, left and right animal containers all recovered. Smoke container functioned. Carried dogs. References: 2.
1956 May 15 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5M. LV Configuration: R-5M R-5R. - Radio guidance test Nation: USSR. Agency: MVS. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). References: 2.
1956 May 16 - 04:21 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC6. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Model: Jupiter A. LV Configuration: Jupiter A RS-19. FAILURE: Missile programmed to cut-off at fuel depletion - this combined with known stability problems caused excessive miss distance. - Jupiter A Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi). RS-19 was launched at 2322 hours EST from AMR. The flight was successful. The actual range was 169.4 nm; 13 nm over the intended impact point. Cut-off wee given by the alcohol depletion switch that sensed alcohol injector pressure drop-off. Takeoff occurred 0.156 seconds after firing. The missile followed the correct trajectory with no obvious deviation. Missile cut-off occurred later than predicted and caused the missile to impact approximately 6.5 nm long, During descent the warhead turned left, causing impact to be several miles to the left of the aiming azimuth line. The primary test objectives were to test the angle-of-attack meter hardware (Jupiter control). Missed aimpoint by 25,100 m.
References: 2.
1956 May 16 - 15:40 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee Hi. LV Configuration: Aerobee Hi USAF 66. FAILURE: Failure. - AJ11-6 engine test Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 169 km (105 mi). Rocket test, 86 kg payload. Insufficient fin-cuff protection caused aerodynamic instability. Launched at 0840 local time. Reached 169 km. References: 2.
1956 May 21 - - First aerial H-bomb tested over Namu islet, Bikini Atoll - 10 million tons TNT equivalent Nation: USA.
1956 May 22 - - X-2 Flight 10 Nation: USA. Payload: X-2 # 1 flight 10. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-2 . Crew: Everest. Sixth powered flight, mach 2.53 at 17.803 m. References: 49, 97.
1956 May 25 - - X-2 Flight 11 Nation: USA. Payload: X-2 # 1 flight 11. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-2 . Crew: Kincheloe. Seventh powered flight; pilot checkout, mach 1+. References: 49, 97.
1956 May 26 - Launch Vehicle: DF-1. -
 Fifth Academy founded. Nation: China. Program: Long March. The Fifth Academy of the Ministry of National Defence is founded for development of ballistic missiles. Tsien is named its first Director on October 8. The Academy is established on the premises of an old hospital and two sanatoriums, with an initial staff of 100 high school graduates and 100 to 200 college graduates. Tsien teaches an 'Introduction to Rocket Technology' course while Zhuang Faggan from CalTech teaches aerodynamics.
References: 87.
1956 May 28 - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas Able. - RAND lunar instrument carrier based on the Atlas booster Nation: USA. The RAND Corporation issued the first of a series of reports on the feasibility of a lunar instrument carrier, based on the use of an Atlas booster. A braking rocket would decelerate the vehicle before lunar landing, and a penetration spike on the forward point of the instrument package would help to absorb the 500 feet per second impact velocity. Instruments would then transmit information on the lunar surface to earth.
References: 16.
1956 May 31 - 02:57 GMT - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-1. Model: R-1E. LV Configuration: R-1E 5. - Biology / solar ultraviolet mission Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Payload, instruments, left and right animal containers all recovered. Smoke container failed. Carried dogs. References: 2.
1956 June 1 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5M. LV Configuration: R-5M R-5R. - Radio guidance test Nation: USSR. Agency: MVS. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). References: 2.
1956 June - Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Vostok 8K72. - First studies by Korolev OKB of manned spacecraft Nation: USSR. Program: Vostok. Class: Manned. Type: Spacecraft. Spacecraft: Vostok. First studies by Korolev and Feoktistov of manned spacecraft. The first stage would be suborbital ballistic flights (like the US Mercury-Redstone flights) from Kapustin Yar using IRBM's. First flights not planned until 1964 - 1967. References: 85.
1956 June - Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: R-7. - Zenit preliminary design complete Nation: USSR. Class: Technology. Spacecraft: Zenit. Design was original concept of Zenit reconnaisance spacecraft. The effort would later be included in the Vostok program under the name of Zenit. References: 85.
1956 June - Launch Vehicle: Navaho. Model: Navaho G-38. - G-38 booster engine test Nation: USA. Program: Navaho. The cluster of three engines produced 1800 kN for 45.5 seconds. References: 221.
1956 June 7 - - X-1E Flight 7 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1E flight 7. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1E. Crew: Walker Joseph. NACA flight 6. Mach 1.55 at 13725 m. Longitudinal and lateral trim changes in transonic region found annoying to pilot. References: 49, 97.
1956 June 7 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-1. Model: R-1E (A-1). LV Configuration: R-1E (A-1) 6. - Biological mission Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Payload, instruments, left and right animal containers all recovered. Smoke container functioned. Carried dogs. References: 2.
1956 June 7 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Nike. Model: Nike Nike T40 T55. - Heat Transfer Re-entry Vehicle test Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 2.
1956 June 8 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Honest John. Model: HJ Nike Tri-Deacon T40. - Test launch Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 30 km (18 mi). References: 2.
1956 June 12 - - System Requirement 126 for Robo rocket-bomber. Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Dynasoar, Bomi, Robo. ARDC headquarters issued System Requirement 126, outlining the requirements for a rocket-bomber, named Robo.
1956 June 13 - 20:51 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee AJ10-34. LV Configuration: Aerobee AJ10-34 USAF 67. - E-layer Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 138 km (85 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1351 local time. Reached 137.8 km. References: 2.
1956 June 15 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5M. LV Configuration: R-5M R-5R. - Radio guidance test Nation: USSR. Agency: MVS. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi). References: 2.
1956 June 18 - - X-1E Flight 8 Nation: USA. Payload: X-1E flight 8. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1E. Crew: Walker Joseph. NACA flight 7. Mach 1.74 at 18300 m. Damaged on landing. References: 49, 97.
1956 June 18 - 20:42 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee AJ10-34. LV Configuration: Aerobee AJ10-34 USAF 68. - E-layer Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 136 km (84 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1342 local time. Reached 130.8 km. References: 2.
1956 June 20 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Cajun. - First Cajun research rocket. Nation: USA. First Cajun research rocket successfully launched at NACA Wallops Island, Va. References: 17.
1956 June 20 - Launch Vehicle: R-2, R-5. - Sounding rocket variants of R-2 and R-5 authorised. Nation: USSR. Decree 'MOP On production of the R-5A and R-2A scientific missiles at Plant No. 586' was issued. References: 474.
1956 June 21 - Launch Vehicle: R-5. Model: R-5M. - R-5M - the first nuclear Soviet ballistic missile - is accepted into military service. Nation: USSR. Decree 'On adoption of the R-5M into armaments' was issued. Deployment of the missile began in 1956 in brigades of six launchers. Initially it took 30 hours to prepare the rocket for launch, but this was reduced to 5 to 6 hours after several years of service.
References: 474.
1956 June 21 - Launch Site: Edwards. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. - Atlas ICBM first test firing Nation: USA. First captive Atlas first test firing. The 'battleship' missile was installed at test stand 1-4, Edwards Air Force Base. The test was a failure due to inadvertant closure of the fuel prevalve, leading to duct collapse, and a turbine overspeed cutoff. No damage was sustained and the first successful firing came the next day.
Atlas, First successful captive test firing, June 22, 1956, Edwards
Rocket Base, duration - 4 seconds. Successful.
References: 498.
1956 June 21 - 18:48 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee AJ10-34. LV Configuration: Aerobee AJ10-34 USAF 69. - E-layer Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 146 km (90 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1148 local time. Reached 146.5 km. References: 2.
1956 June 22 - Launch Site: Edwards. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. - Atlas ICBM first successful test firing Nation: USA. First successful captive test firing of the Atlas ICBM at Edwards
Air Force Base, duration - 4 seconds. References: 498.
1956 June 22 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Deacon. Model: Tandem Double Deacon. - Inlet model test flight Nation: USA. Agency: NACA. Apogee: 10 km (6 mi). References: 2.
1956 June 23 - Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas A. - First Atlas battleship tests Nation: USA. First system engine tests on ERB 1-4 battleship setup References: 4460.
1956 June 26 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC3. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: X-17. LV Configuration: X-17 D-6A. - Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF 6555ATW. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). USAF X-17 flight test program started at Cape Canaveral to study reentry problems by simulating reentry velocities and conditions with three-stage solid-fuel Lockheed X-17. A total of 26 X-17 flights were conducted until March 1957. References: 2.
1956 June 26 - 18:26 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee AJ10-34. LV Configuration: Aerobee AJ10-34 USAF 70. - E-layer Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 111 km (68 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1120 local time. Reached 111.1 km. References: 2.
1956 June 28 - - Workers' uprising against Communist rule in Poznan, Poland, is crushed Nation: USSR.
1956 June 29 - 19:09 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC35. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee Hi. LV Configuration: Aerobee Hi NRL 50 (RV-N-13b). - RV-N-13b Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NRL. Apogee: 264 km (164 mi). Ionosphere research. Launched at 1200 local time. Reached 261 km. References: 2.
1956 June 30 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: V-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: R-1. Model: R-1 8A11. LV Configuration: R-1 8A11 No 5112. - Operational test Nation: USSR. Agency: NII-88. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). References: 2.
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