US NavyProject PilotNaval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight
NOTS 5
Launched
August 26, 1958
Summary
NOTS 5 launched on an US Navy Project Pilot from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight on August 26, 1958. The mission failed. It was US Navy's 11th launch, 10th this year and humanity's 21st orbital launch attempt. It was the 5th Project Pilot flight. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO).
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Project Pilot · US Navy
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Government/Top Secret · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 5th Project Pilot flightUS Navy's 11th launch10th this yearhumanity's 21st orbital launch attempt18th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
About this launch
The project pilot payloads were small cylindrical satellites. These missions intended to be the first to launch a satellite from an aircraft. They had only a single instrument, a very primitive infrared line scanning device to make IR images of the ground.
Pad

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight
5th launch from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, 5th this year · 5th from Air launch to Suborbital flight
6 launches from this pad · 86 from Air launch to Suborbital flight
1 day after the previous launch from this pad
All launches from Air launch to Suborbital flightOpen in maps
Questions
When did NOTS 5 launch?
NOTS 5 launched on August 26, 1958. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch NOTS 5?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched NOTS 5?
Project Pilot, flown by US Navy. Project Pilot spec sheet
Where did NOTS 5 launch from?
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Air launch to Suborbital flight.
What orbit was NOTS 5 going to?
Low Earth Orbit (LEO), a government/top secret mission.