1962 in science

List of years in science (Table)
	… 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • ; 1959 • 1960 • 1961 – 1962 – 1963 • 1964 • 1965 •; 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 …
Related time period or subjects
	… 1959 • 1960 • 1961 – 1962 – 1963 • 1964 • 1965 …; … 1930s • 1940s • 1950s – 1960s – 1970s • 1980s • 1990s …; … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century …
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The year 1962 in science and technology involved some significant events, listed below.

[edit] Astronomy and space exploration

January 26 - Ranger 3 is launched to study the Moon. The space probe later missed the Moon by 22,000 miles.
February 2 - For the first time in 400 years Neptune and Pluto align.
February 20 - Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn orbits the Earth three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes becoming the first American to orbit the Earth.
April 26 - The Ranger 4 spacecraft crashes into the Moon.

At MIT, Ivan Sutherland uses the TX-2 computer to write Sketchpad, the origin of graphical programs used for computer-aided design.
October - J.C.R. Licklider becomes the first head of the computer research program at ARPA, which he names the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO).