Space launches Oct 1957- May 1961

• Von Braun's Jupiter/Juno: 50 percent (16 launches)

• Douglas Thor: 65 percent (40 launches)

• NASA-Langley Scout: 50 percent (2 launches)

• Convair Atlas: 33 percent (9 launches)

• Rosen's Vanguard: 27 percent (11 launches)

• NOTS: 0 percent (6 launches)

• Yet within 5 years success rates rose to 92-97 percent

• Similar improvement for USSR rockets