Fritz Zwicky's "artificial meteors" might count. Though they were launched from a rocket, it wasn't a rocket capable of reaching orbit; the pellets were launched away from the rocket by an explosive after it reached the upper atmosphere.
It's believed that they escaped earth's gravity well and went into orbit around the sun. There's no real confirmation that they did, but it's certainly possible.
toxicpsychotic t1_izdtima wrote
Reply to comment by brjgto in Ask Anything Wednesday - Physics, Astronomy, Earth and Planetary Science by AutoModerator
Fritz Zwicky's "artificial meteors" might count. Though they were launched from a rocket, it wasn't a rocket capable of reaching orbit; the pellets were launched away from the rocket by an explosive after it reached the upper atmosphere.
It's believed that they escaped earth's gravity well and went into orbit around the sun. There's no real confirmation that they did, but it's certainly possible.