Notable Unmanned Sub-orbital Spaceflights
- The first sub-orbital space flight was in early 1944, when a V-2 test rocket launched from Peenemünde in Germany reached 189 kilometres altitude.
- 8 September 1944, the world's first successful ballistic missile (V-2, launched by Germany) hits its target for the first time, Chiswick in London, England. Three civilians were killed and seventeen injured, a massive crater was left. By September 1944, the V-2s routinely achieved Mach-4 during terminal descent.
- Bumper 5, a two stage rocket launched from the White Sands Proving Grounds. On 24 February 1949 the upper stage reached an altitude of 248 miles (399 km) and a speed of 7,553 feet per second (2300 meters per second approx.) which is nearly Mach-7.
- USSR — Energia, 1986, Polyus payload failed to reach orbit; this was the most massive object launched into suborbital spaceflight to date
- USA USAF/NASA/DARPA's X-37 B, intended to demonstrate reusable space technologies, The X-37 began as a NASA project in 1999, then was transferred to the US Department of Defense in 2004. It had its first flight as a drop test on April 7, 2006, at Edwards AFB. The spaceplane's first orbital mission, USA-212 was launched on April 22, 2010 using an Atlas V rocket and landed on Dec. 3rd 2010.
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