 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2022) |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 8 January |
| Last | 29 December |
1973 saw the launch of the first American Space station known as Skylab on a Saturn V rocket.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(March 2022) |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 8 January |
| Last | 29 December |
1973 saw the launch of the first American Space station known as Skylab on a Saturn V rocket.
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
| Remarks | |||||||
January | |||||||
| 8 January 06:55 |  Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 | MOM | Selenocentric | Lunar rover | 15 January 1973 (At Moon) | Successful | ||
| 11 January 10:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 543 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 24 January 1973 | Successful | ||
| 20 January 03:36 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 544 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | ELINT | 15 June 1980 | Successful | ||
| 24 January 11:44 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 545 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 31 July 1973 | Successful | |||
| 26 January 11:44 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kapustin Yar Site 107 | |||||
| Kosmos 546 (Tsiklon mockup) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Boilerplate | In orbit | Successful | ||
February | |||||||
| 1 February 08:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 547 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 February 1973 | Successful | ||
| 3 February 05:48 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Baikonur | |||||
| Molniya 1-23 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 23 October 1977 | Successful | ||
| 8 February 13:15 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 548 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 February 1973 | Successful | ||
| 15 February 01:11 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Baikonur Site 31/6 | |||||
| Prognoz-3 | MOM | Molniya | Solar flare detection | 31 December 1976 | Successful | ||
| 26 February 04:37 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 549 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | ELINT | 29 June 1980 | Successful | ||
March | |||||||
| 1 March 12:40 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 550 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 March 1973 | Successful | ||
| 6 March 09:20 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 551 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 20 March 1973 | Successful | ||
| 6 March 09:30 |  Atlas- Agena SLV-3A | Cape Canaveral SLC-13 | |||||
| Rhyolite 2 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 9 March 21:00 | Titan IIID | Vandenberg SLC-4E | |||||
| KH-9 | NRO / CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 17 March 1973 | Successful | ||
| 20 March 11:20 | Vostok (R-7 8A92M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Meteor 1-14 | MOM | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 22 March 10:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 552 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 April 1973 | Successful | ||
| Nauka | MOM | Low Earth | Technology | 9 April 1973 | Successful | ||
April | |||||||
| 3 April 09:00 | Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Salyut 2 (Almaz) | MOM | Low Earth | Space Station | 28 May 1973 | Failure | ||
| Depressurised before crew launch could occur | |||||||
| 5 April 11:11 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Molniya 2-5 | MOM | Molniya | Communications | 6 January 1979 | Successful | ||
| 6 April 02:11 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | |||||
| Pioneer 11 (Pioneer G) | NASA | Heliocentric to Solar escape | Planetary probe | In orbit | Successful | ||
| First spacecraft to visit Saturn Maiden flight of Atlas SLV-3D Centaur rocket. | |||||||
| 12 April 11:49 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 553 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 11 November 1973 | Successful | |||
| 19 April 08:59 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 554 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 May 1973 | Successful | ||
| Destroyed in orbit after deactivation | |||||||
| 19 April 10:19 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kapustin Yar Site 86 | |||||
| InterKosmos 9 | Interkosmos | Low Earth | Solar radiation detection | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 20 April 23:47 | Delta (1914) | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | |||||
| Anik A2 | Telesat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 25 April | Tsyklon-2 | Baikonur Site 90 | |||||
| US-A | MO SSSR | Intended: Low Earth | Ocean surveillance | 25 April 1973 | Failure | ||
| Engine failure | |||||||
| 25 April 10:45 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 555 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 May 1973 | Successful | ||
| Nauka | MOM | Low Earth | Scientific research | 9 May 1973 | Successful | ||
May | |||||||
| 5 May 07:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 556 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 14 May 1973 | Successful | ||
| 11 May 00:20 | Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Kosmos 557 (Salyut / Zarya) | MOM | Low Earth | Space Station | 22 May 1973 | Failure | ||
| Loss of control in orbit | |||||||
| 14 May 17:30 | Saturn V | Kennedy LC-39A | NASA | ||||
| Skylab | NASA | Low Earth | Space Station | 11 July 1979 | Successful | ||
| First American Space Station Last flight of the Saturn V rocket Damaged during launch, but repaired | |||||||
| 16 May 16:40 | Titan IIIB (24B) | Vandenberg SLC-4W | |||||
| OPS 2093 (KH-8) | NRO / US Air Force | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| 17 May 13:19 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 558 (DS-P1-Yu) | MOM | Low Earth | 22 December 1973 | Successful | |||
| 18 May 11:00 | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 559 (Zenit-4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 May 1973 | Successful | ||
| Maiden flight of Soyuz-U carrier rocket | |||||||
| 21 May 08:47 |  Diamant-B | Kourou | SEREB | ||||
| Castor | CNES | Intended:Low Earth | Technology | 21 May 1973 | Failure | ||
| Pollux | CNES | Intended:Low Earth | Technology | ||||
| Final flight of Diamant-B Fairing failed to separate | |||||||
| 23 May 10:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 560 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 5 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| 25 May | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Zaliv (Tsiklon) | RVSN | Intended: Low Earth | Navigation | 25 May 1973 | Failure | ||
| Failed to reach orbit | |||||||
| 25 May 13:00 | Saturn IB | Kennedy LC-39B | NASA | ||||
| Skylab 2, 3 Astronauts | NASA | Low Earth, docked to Skylab | Crewed orbital flight | 22 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| First crewed flight to Skylab | |||||||
| 25 May 13:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 561 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| Nauka | MOM | Low Earth | Gamma ray telescope | 20 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| 29 May 10:16 | Vostok (R-7 8A92M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Meteor 1-15 | MOM | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful | ||
June | |||||||
| 5 June 11:26 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 562 (DS-P1-Yu) | MOM | Low Earth | 7 January 1974 | Successful | |||
| 6 June 11:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 563 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 18 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| 8 June 15:50 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 564 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 565 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 566 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 567 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 568 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 569 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 570 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 571 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 10 June 10:10 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 572 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 June 1973 | Successful | ||
| 10 June 14:13 | Delta (1913) | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | |||||
| Explorer 49 (RAE) | NASA | Selenocentric | Astronomy | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 12 June 07:14 | Titan IIIC | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | |||||
| DSP F-4 (IMEWS 4) | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Missile early warning | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 15 June 06:00 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Baikonur Site 1/5 | |||||
| Kosmos 573 (Soyuz 7K-T) | MOM | Low Earth | Test spacecraft | 17 June 1973 06:01 | Successful | ||
| 20 June 06:16 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 574 (Tsiklon) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 21 June 13:29 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 575 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 July 1973 | Successful | ||
| 26 June 01:22 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Tselina-O | RVSN | Intended: Low Earth | SIGINT | Never left ground | Failure | ||
| Exploded on pad after fuelling error; 9 killed | |||||||
| 26 June 17:00 | Titan IIIB (24B) | Vandenberg SLC-4W | |||||
| OPS 4018 (KH-8) | US Air Force | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 26 June 1973 | Failure | ||
| Agena upper stage malfunction; Failed to reach orbit | |||||||
| 27 June 11:50 | Soyuz-M (R-7 11A511M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 576 (Zenit-4MT / Orion) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 9 July 1973 | Successful | ||
July | |||||||
| 4 July | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk Site 43 | |||||
| (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 July 1973 | Successful | ||
| 11 July 09:58 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Molniya 2-6 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 5 August 1978 | Successful | ||
| 13 July 20:24 | Titan III D | Vandenberg SLC-4E | |||||
| OPS 8261 (KH-9) | NRO / CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 16 July 17:10 | Delta (0300) | Vandenberg SLC-2W | |||||
| ITOS E | NASA / NOAA | Intended: Low Earth | Weather | 16 July 1973 | Failure | ||
| Second stage malfunction | |||||||
| 21 July 19:30 | Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Mars 4 | MOM | Intended: Areocentric Actual: Heliocentric | Mars orbiter | In orbit | Failure | ||
| Retro-rockets failed, did not enter Martian orbit | |||||||
| 25 July 11:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 577 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 August 1973 | Successful | ||
| 25 July 18:55 | Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Mars 5 | MOM | Areocentric | Mars orbiter | In orbit | Partial Failure | ||
| Computer malfunction a few days after entering Martian orbit | |||||||
| 28 July 11:10 | Saturn IB | Kennedy LC-39B | NASA | ||||
| Skylab 3, 3 Astronauts | NASA | Low Earth, docked to Skylab | Crewed orbital flight | 25 September 1973 | Partial Failure | ||
| Thruster malfunction, nearly required rescue mission | |||||||
August | |||||||
| 1 August 14:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 578 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 August 1973 | Successful | ||
| 5 August 17:45 | Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Mars 6 | MOM | Heliocentric | Mars lander | 12 March 1974 | Failure | ||
| Disappeared shortly before landing | |||||||
| 8 August 17:00 | Proton-K | Baikonur Site 81 | |||||
| Mars 7 | MOM | Heliocentric | Mars lander | In orbit | Failure | ||
| Missed planet due to premature separation | |||||||
| 17 August 04:49 | Thor- Burner 2A | Vandenberg SLC-10W | |||||
| DMSP 5B F-4 | US Air Force | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 21 August 12:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 579 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 September 1973 | Successful | ||
| 21 August 16:07 | Titan IIIB (33B) | Vandenberg SLC-4W | |||||
| OPS 7724 (Jumpseat 3) | NRO / US Air Force | Molniya | SIGINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 22 August 11:24 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 580 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 1 April 1974 | Successful | |||
| 23 August 22:57 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Cape Canaveral LC-36A | |||||
| Intelsat IV F7 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 24 August 10:59 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 581 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 September 1973 | Successful | ||
| 28 August 10:08 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 582 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | ELINT | 5 September 1980 | Successful | ||
| 30 August 00:07 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Molniya 1-24 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 5 December 1979 | Successful | ||
| 30 August 10:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 583 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 September 1973 | Successful | ||
September | |||||||
| 6 September 10:40 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 584 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 20 September 1973 | Successful | ||
| 8 September 01:50 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 585 (Sfera) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | In orbit | Successful | |||
| 14 September 00:31 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 586 (Tsiklon) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 18 September |  Feng Bao 1 (FB1) | Jiuquan LA-2B | |||||
| JSSW 1 | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 18 September 1973 | Failure | |||
| 21 September 13:05 | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 587 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 27 September 12:18 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Baikonur Site 1/5 | |||||
| Soyuz 12, 2 Cosmonauts | MOM | Low Earth | Crewed orbital flight | 29 September 1973 | Successful | ||
| Return-to-flight after Soyuz 11 incident | |||||||
| 27 September 17:15 | Titan IIIB (24B) | Vandenberg SLC-4W | |||||
| OPS 6275 (KH-8) | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 October 1973 | Successful | |||
October | |||||||
| 2 October 21:46 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 588 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 589 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 590 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 591 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 592 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 593 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 594 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 595 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 3 October 13:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 596 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 9 October 1973 | Failure | ||
| Nauka | RVSN | Low Earth | Magnetosphere | 9 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| Parachute failed to deploy during recovery | |||||||
| 6 October 12:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 597 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 10 October 10:45 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 598 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 16 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 15 October 08:45 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 599 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 16 October 12:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 600 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 16 October 14:00 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 601 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 15 August 1984 | Successful | |||
| 19 October 10:26 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Molniya 2-7 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 8 July 1983 | Successful | ||
| 20 October 10:14 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 602 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 October 1973 | Successful | ||
| 26 October 02:26 | Delta (1913) | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | |||||
| Explorer 50 (IMP) | NASA | High Earth | Magnetosphere | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 27 October 11:09 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 603 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 9 November 1973 | Successful | ||
| 29 October 14:00 | Vostok (R-7 8A92M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 604 (Tselina) | MOM | Low Earth | SIGINT | 19 January 1992 | Successful | ||
| 30 October 00:37 | Scout A-1 | Vandenberg SLC-5 | Vought | ||||
| Transit-O 20 | US Navy | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Final flight of Scout A rocket | |||||||
| 30 October 19:00 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Interkosmos 10 (DS-U2-IK) | Interkosmos | Low Earth | Geophysics | 1 July 1977 | Successful | ||
| 31 October 18:24 | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | Plesetsk Site 43 | |||||
| Kosmos 605 (Bion 1) | MOM | Low Earth | Biology | 22 November 1973 | Successful | ||
November | |||||||
| 2 November 13:01 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk Site 41 | |||||
| Kosmos 606 (Oko) | MOM | Molniya | Missile Early Warning | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 3 November 05:45 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | |||||
| Mariner 10 | NASA | Heliocentric | Planetary probe | 24 March 1975 | Successful | ||
| Flybys of Venus and Mercury First spacecraft to visit Mercury | |||||||
| 6 November 17:02 | Delta (0300) | Vandenberg SLC-2W | NASA | ||||
| NOAA 3 (ITOS-F) | NASA / NOAA | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Final flight of Delta 0100 series | |||||||
| 10 November 12:38 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 607 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 22 November 1973 | Successful | ||
| 10 November 20:09 | Titan III D | Vandenberg SLC-4E | |||||
| OPS 6630 (KH-9) | NRO / CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 March 1974 | Successful | ||
| OPS 7705 (SSF) | NRO / US Air Force | Low Earth | SIGINT | 26 December 1978 | Successful | ||
| OPS 6630 P/L 2 (SSF) | NRO / US Air Force | Low Earth | SIGINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 14 November 20:40 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Baikonur | |||||
| Molniya 1-25 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 26 May 1979 | Successful | ||
| 16 November 14:01 | Saturn IB | Kennedy LC-39B | NASA | ||||
| Skylab 4 | NASA | Low Earth, docked to Skylab | Crewed orbital flight | 8 February 1974 | Successful | ||
| Final flight of Skylab programme | |||||||
| 20 November 12:29 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 608 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 10 July 1974 | Successful | |||
| 21 November 10:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Baikonur | |||||
| Kosmos 609 (Zenit-4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 December 1973 | Successful | ||
| 27 November 00:08 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 610 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | SIGINT / ELINT | 15 September 1980 | Successful | ||
| 28 November 09:29 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 611 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 19 June 1974 | Successful | |||
| 28 November 11:43 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 612 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 December 1973 | Successful | ||
| 30 November 05:20 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Baikonur Site 1/5 | |||||
| Kosmos 613 (Soyuz 7K-T) | MOM | Low Earth | Test spacecraft | 29 January 1974 05:29 | Successful | ||
| 30 November 13:08 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Molniya 1-26 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 9 June 1985 | Successful | ||
December | |||||||
| 4 December 15:00 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 614 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 13 December 11:10 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Plesetsk Site 133 | |||||
| Kosmos 615 (DS-P1-I) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | 17 December 1975 | Successful | |||
| 13 December 23:57 | Titan IIIC | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | |||||
| DSCS II F-3 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communication | 1 August 1982 | Successful | ||
| DSCS II F-4 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communication | 20 December 1993 | Successful | ||
| 16 December 06:18 | Delta (1900) | Vandenberg SLC-2W | NASA | ||||
| Explorer 51 (AE-C) | NASA | Low Earth / Medium Earth | Atmospheric | 12 December 1978 | Successful | ||
| 17 December 12:00 | Soyuz-M (R-7 11A511M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 616 (Zenit 4MT) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 December 1973 | Successful | ||
| 18 December 11:55 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Baikonur Site 1/5 | |||||
| Soyuz 13, 2 Cosmonauts | MOM | Low Earth | Crewed orbital flight | 26 December 1973 | Successful | ||
| Orion 2 Astrophysics / Astronomy | |||||||
| 19 December 09:43 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 617 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 618 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 619 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 620 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 621 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 622 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 623 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 624 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 21 December 12:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Kosmos 625 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 January 1974 | Successful | ||
| 25 December 11:17 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Plesetsk | |||||
| Molniya 2-8 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 24 November 1985 | Successful | ||
| 26 December 16:30 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Aureole 2 (DS-U2-GKA) | MO SSSR / CNES | Low Earth | Auroral research | 30 April 1974 | Successful | ||
| 27 December 20:19 | Tsyklon-2 | Baikonur Site 90 | |||||
| Kosmos 626 (US-A / RORSAT) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Ocean Reconnaissance | 22 March 1974 | Successful | ||
| 29 December 04:12 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Plesetsk Site 132 | |||||
| Kosmos 627 (Tsiklon) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 January | Luna 21 | Delivered Lunokhod 2 between Mare Serenitatis and the Taurus Mountains | |
| 15 June | Explorer 49 | Entered Selenocentric orbit | Radio telescope |
| 3 December | Pioneer 10 | Flyby of Jupiter | Closest approach: 130,354 kilometres (80,998 mi) |
| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 May 00:40 | 40 minutes | 01:20 | CM-116 SLM-1 | Paul J. Weitz | Using a 10-foot (3.0 m) long tool, Weitz stood in the open hatch of the Command Module (as Joe Kerwin held onto his legs) and tried to remove a strap preventing the release of a solar panel on Skylab. [1] |
| 7 June 15:15 | 3 hours 25 minutes | 18:40 | Skylab SLM-1 | Pete Conrad Joseph P. Kerwin | Used long-handled cable cutters to remove debris that prevented the solar array system from deploying and then forced the solar array system to deploy, providing the Skylab with electrical power needed to operate. |
| 19 June 10:55 | 1 hour 36 minutes | 12:31 | Skylab SLM-1 | Pete Conrad Paul J. Weitz | Replaced exposed film cassettes with fresh film and repaired an electrical contact. |
| 6 August 17:30 | 6 hours 31 minutes | 7 August 00:01 | Skylab SLM-2 | Owen K. Garriott Jack R. Lousma | Erected a twin-pole solar shield to improve temperature control in Skylab, replaced film cassettes in the solar observatory and installed micrometeoroid detection panels. |
| 24 August 16:24 | 4 hours 31 minutes | 20:55 | Skylab SLM-2 | Owen K. Garriott Jack R. Lousma | Installed a new gyroscope selection box, and replaced the film in the solar observatory. |
| 22 September 11:18 | 2 hours 41 minutes | 13:59 | Skylab SLM-2 | Owen K. Garriott Alan Bean | Replaced the film on the solar observatory and collected the Thermal Coatings Experiment Panel for return to Earth. [2] |
| 22 November 17:42 | 6 hours 33 minutes | 23 November 00:15 | Skylab SLM-3 | Edward Gibson William R. Pogue | Replaced the film on the solar observatory and repaired the antenna for the Earth resources experiment package. |
| 25 December 16:00 | 7 hours 1 minute | 23:01 | Skylab SLM-3 | Gerald P. Carr William R. Pogue | Used the extreme ultraviolet electronographic camera and the coronagraph contamination camera to photograph Comet Kohoutek. They also replaced the film on the solar observatory. |
| 29 December 17:00 | 3 hours 29 minutes | 20:29 | Skylab SLM-3 | Gerald P. Carr Edward Gibson | Photographed Comet Kohoutek as it appeared from behind the Sun and recovered the Thermal Control Coatings Experiment panel. |
The year 1966 saw the peak and the end of the Gemini program. The program proved that docking in space and human EVA's could be done safely. It saw the first launch of the Saturn IB rocket, an important step in the Apollo program, and the launch of Luna 9, the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on a celestial object.
Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to leave the gravitational influence of Earth. Also in 1959, Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another celestial body, impacting the Moon, and Luna 3 returned the first images of the far side of the Moon.
Explorer 1 was the first American satellite to reach orbit on 31 January 1958.
This article outlines notable events occurring in 1995 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.
The following is an outline of 1983 in spaceflight.
The following is an outline of 1984 in spaceflight.
The following is an outline of 1985 in spaceflight.
The year 1986 saw the destruction of Space Shuttle Challenger shortly after lift-off, killing all seven aboard, the first in-flight deaths of American astronauts. This accident followed the successful flight of Columbia just weeks earlier, and dealt a major setback to the U.S. crewed space program, suspending the Shuttle program for 32 months.
This was the final year of the Soviet Union, and thus the end of the Cold War competition between the two space superpowers. The number of launches subsequently declined in the 1990s, and 2018 was the first year since 1990 to have more than 100 orbital launches.
The following is an outline of 1989 in spaceflight.
The following is an outline of 1976 in spaceflight.
The following is an outline of 1979 in spaceflight.
The following is an outline of 1987 in spaceflight.
This is a list of spaceflights launched between January and June 1961. For launches between July and December, see 1961 in spaceflight (July–December). For an overview of the whole year, see 1961 in spaceflight.
