Explorer 1 was the first American satellite to reach orbit on 31 January 1958.
Overview
Orbital and Suborbital flights
Orbital launch statistics By country
Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures 5 1 4 0 23 5 16 2
By rocket
By type and configuration Rocket Country Type Family Launches Successes Failures Partial failures RemarksAtlas B SM-65 Atlas Atlas 1 1 0 0 Maiden flight, only orbital launchJuno I Jupiter-C Redstone 6 3 3 0 Maiden flightJuno II Juno Jupiter 1 0 0 1 Maiden flightLuna Vostok R-7 3 0 3 0 Maiden flightPilot II Pilot NOTS-EV 6 0 6 0 Only flightsSputnik 8A91 Sputnik R-7 2 1 1 0 Only flightsThor DM-18 Able-I Thor-Able Thor 3 0 2 1 Maiden flightVanguard Vanguard Viking 6 1 5 0
By family Family Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures RemarksAtlas 1 1 0 0 First orbital launchRedstone 6 3 3 0 First orbital launchJupiter 1 0 0 1 Maiden flightNOTS-EV 6 0 6 0 Only orbital launchesR07R-7 5 1 4 0 Thor 3 0 2 1 Maiden flightViking 6 1 5 0
By launch site Site Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures RemarksBaikonur 5 1 4 0 Cape Canaveral 17 5 10 2 Point Mugu 6 0 6 0
By orbit Orbital regime Launches Successes Failures Accidentallyachieved Remarks Catalogued suborbital N/A N/A N/A 2 Pioneer 1 and Pioneer 3 went more than on their way to the Moon but were ultimately suborbital due to insufficient velocity. Low Earth 4 2 2 0 Medium Earth 17 4 13 0 Heliocentric 7 0 7 0
See also Timeline of spaceflight
References
Footnotes