This timeline of spaceflight may require cleanup  to ensure consistency with other timeline of spaceflight articles. See Wikipedia:WikiProject Spaceflight/Timeline of spaceflight working group for guidelines on how to improve the article. Details Concerns have been raised that: 
  | 
|   The Skylab space station, which decayed from orbit on 11 July  | |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 11 January | 
| Last | 28 December | 
| Total | 110 | 
| Catalogued | 106 | 
| National firsts | |
| Space traveller | |
| Rockets | |
| Maiden flights |  Ariane 1  Scout G-1 SLV  | 
| Retirements |  Delta 2000  Mu-3C Scout D-1  | 
| Crewed flights | |
| Orbital | 2 | 
| Total travellers | 4 | 
The following is an outline of 1979 in spaceflight.
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Payload  (⚀ = CubeSat)  | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | |||
| Remarks | ||||||||
January | ||||||||
| 11 January 15:07 [1]  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | Reconnaissance | 20 January 1979 | Successful | ||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 13 January 15:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 16 January 17:37  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (82.9 degrees inclination) | Navigation | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Military payload (810 kg) | ||||||||
| 18 January 15:42  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely elliptical orbit (64.1 degrees inclination) | Communications | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Civilian payload (1750 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 January 05:43  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | SSO | Meteorology | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Civilian payload (1100 kg) | ||||||||
| 30 January 15:15  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 30 January 21:42  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | USAF | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (4.9 degrees inclination) |  Communications  Technology demo  | In orbit | Successful | |||
| Experimental military payload (360 kg) | ||||||||
| 31 January 09:00:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (51.6 degrees inclination) | Test flight | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Military payload (7000 kg) | ||||||||
February | ||||||||
| 6 February 08:46  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | NASDA | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (0.7 degrees inclination) | Communications | unknown | Partial failure | |||
| Civilian payload (260 kg). Spacecraft has failed 9 February 1979 during apogee kick motor burn after recontact with 3rd stage | ||||||||
| 8 February 10:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (65.8 degrees inclination) | Radar calibration | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Military payload (1080 kg) | ||||||||
| 12 February 13:00:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (82.5 degrees inclination) | Earth observation | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Military payload (1900 kg) | ||||||||
| 13 February 21:41  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (2500 kg) | ||||||||
| 16 February 15:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | no | 16 February 1979 | Failed to reach orbit | |||||
| Military payload | ||||||||
| 18 February 18:59:00 [2]  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | NASA | Low Earth (54.9 degrees inclination) | Earth observation | 11 April 1989 | Successful | |||
| Civilian payload (148.7 kg) | ||||||||
| 21 February 05:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | ISAS | Low Earth (29.9 degrees inclination) | X-ray astronomy | 16 April 1985 | Successful | |||
| Civilian payload (100 kg) | ||||||||
| 21 February 07:49:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | Satellite television | unknown | Successful | ||||
| Civilian payload (1970 kg) | ||||||||
| 22 February 12:10  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 24 February 08:20  |   | 27F |   |   | ||||
|   | USAF STP | Low Earth (97.8 degrees inclination) | Solar physics research | 13 September 1985 | Destroyed by ASAT | |||
| Military payload (1331 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 February 11:53:49  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (Salyut 6) | Salyut 6 EO-3 | 13 June 16:18:26  | Successful | ||||
| Crewed flight launching with two cosmonauts, remained in orbit past design life due to Soyuz 33 failure, returned to Earth uncrewed | ||||||||
| 27 February 15:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (67.1 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6700 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 February 17:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Interkosmos | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | Ionospheric research | unknown | Successful | |||
| Civilian payload (1015 kg). Collaboration between USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. | ||||||||
March | ||||||||
| 1 March 18:45:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1300 kg) | ||||||||
| 12 March 05:47:28  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Salyut 6 orbit (Low Earth (51.6 degrees inclination)) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (7020 kg) | ||||||||
| 14 March 10:50  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6700 kg) | ||||||||
| 15 March 02:58  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (8x61 kg) | ||||||||
| 16 March 18:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | SSO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (13300 kg to SSO, 60 kg to LEO (95.8 degrees)) | ||||||||
| 21 March 04:13  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (83.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (810 kg) | ||||||||
| 31 March 10:45  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
April | ||||||||
| 7 April 06:20  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (82.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (810 kg) | ||||||||
| 10 April 17:34:34  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (Intended: Salyut 6) | Taxi flight | 12 April 16:35  | Spacecraft failure | ||||
| Crewed flight with two cosmonauts, first Bulgarian in space, main engine failed during rendezvous manoeuvres, docking aborted and spacecraft deorbited using backup engines | ||||||||
| 11 April 21:51  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (82.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (810 kg) | ||||||||
| 12 April 00:28:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (64.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1600 kg) | ||||||||
| 14 April 05:27  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | ELINT | 23 March 2000 | Successful | ||||
| Military payload (2500 kg) | ||||||||
| 18 April 12:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (65.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (3000 kg) | ||||||||
| 20 April 11:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 April 03:44:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (1965 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 April 10:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (65.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (4000 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 April 17:15  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.7 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6700 kg) | ||||||||
May | ||||||||
| 4 May 18:57:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GTO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (1884 kg) | ||||||||
| 13 May 04:17:10  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Salyut 6 orbit (51.6 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (7020 kg) | ||||||||
| 15 May 11:40  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 17 May 07:10  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 22 May 23:00:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (51.6 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (2x9000 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 May 07:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 May 18:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | SSO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (4000 kg) | ||||||||
| 31 May 16:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.7 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 31 May 17:58  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (82.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (810 kg) | ||||||||
June | ||||||||
| 2 June 23:26  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | unknown | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload | ||||||||
| 5 June 23:28  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1750 kg) | ||||||||
| 6 June 18:12:41  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (Salyut 6) | Crew return | 19 August 12:29  | Successful | ||||
| Launched uncrewed to replace Soyuz 32 which had passed the end of its design life, landed with two cosmonauts | ||||||||
| 6 June 18:22:12  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | US Air Force | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful | |||
| 7 June 10:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (50.7 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (441 kg) | ||||||||
| 8 June 07:10  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 10 June 13:30:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (1170 kg) | ||||||||
| 12 June 07:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.4 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 15 June 10:50  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 22 June 07:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 June 15:51:59  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (98.5 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (723 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 June 18:11:23  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (62.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (1250 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 June 09:25:11  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Salyut 6 orbit(51.6 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1020 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 June 20:09  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (875 kg) | ||||||||
| 29 June 16:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
July | ||||||||
| 5 July 23:19:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (2120 kg) | ||||||||
| 6 July 08:20  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (50.7 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (1190 kg) | ||||||||
| 10 July 09:00:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (65.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 11 July 15:41  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (900 kg) | ||||||||
| 13 July 08:25  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 20 July 11:58  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (2500 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 July 15:20  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 July 07:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 July 21:28  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Intended: Low Earth | Micrometeoroid research, electromagnetic background research | 27 July | Failure | ||||
|   | Intended: Low Earth | Ionosphere research | ||||||
|   | Intended: Low Earth | Radar calibration | ||||||
| Civilian payload (770 kg). Second stage malfunction | ||||||||
| 31 July 03:56  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (64.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1600 kg) | ||||||||
August | ||||||||
| 3 August 10:45  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 10 August 00:20  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GTO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Commercial payload (574 kg) | ||||||||
| 10 August 02:28  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | 10 August 1979 | Failed to reach orbit due control valve malfunction in 2nd stage | ||||||
| Civilian payload (30 kg) | ||||||||
| 11 August 09:15:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (70.4 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 14 August 15:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (67.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6700 kg) | ||||||||
| 17 August 07:45  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 21 August 11:10  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 August 00:17:04  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (68 degrees inclination) | unknown | Launch successful. Satellite exploded 9 September 1979 into 8 pieces. | |||||
| Military payload (1250 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 August 00:55  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (875 kg) | ||||||||
| 31 August 11:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
September | ||||||||
| 5 September 10:20  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.3 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 14 September 15:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 20 September 05:28  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (43.6 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (3150 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 September 15:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (62.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 25 September 21:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (8x61 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 September 12:20  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.8 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
October | ||||||||
| 1 October 11:22:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | unknown | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (820 kg) | ||||||||
| 3 October 17:12:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1970 kg) | ||||||||
| 5 October 11:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (5500 kg) | ||||||||
| 11 October 16:36  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.1 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (875 kg) | ||||||||
| 12 October 12:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | 12 October 1979 | Failed to reach orbit | ||||||
| 16 October 12:17  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (83.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (810 kg) | ||||||||
| 20 October 07:03  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Extremely Elliptical Orbit (64.7 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1600 kg) | ||||||||
| 22 October 12:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 26 October 18:12  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (2500 kg) | ||||||||
| 30 October 14:16  |   |   | ||||||
|   | Low Earth (96.8 degrees inclination) | 11 June 1980 | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (181 kg) | ||||||||
| 31 October 09:25:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1300 kg) | ||||||||
November | ||||||||
| 1 November 08:05  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (74.0 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (1100 kg) | ||||||||
| 2 November 16:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (67.1 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6700 kg) | ||||||||
| 21 November 02:09:36  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (2x612 kg) | ||||||||
| 27 November 09:55  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (81.2 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (2500 kg) | ||||||||
December | ||||||||
| 5 December 09:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (65.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (1000 kg) | ||||||||
| 7 December 01:35  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GTO | unknown | Satellite failed while being on the GTO, has been destroyed | |||||
| Commercial payload (895 kg) | ||||||||
| 12 December 12:30  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (72.9 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| 16 December 12:29:50  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Salyut 6 orbit (51.6 degrees inclination) | 21:47, 25 March 1980 | Successful | |||||
| Salyut 6 orbit boost mission completed | ||||||||
| 24 December 17:14:38  |   |   | ESA | |||||
| CAT-1 | ESA | Low Earth | Technology | 27 November 1989 | Successful | |||
| Maiden flight of the Ariane 1, and the Ariane family [3] | ||||||||
| 28 December 11:51:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | GEO | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Civilian payload (2120 kg) | ||||||||
| 28 December 13:00  |   |   |   | |||||
|   | Low Earth (67.1 degrees inclination) | unknown | Successful | |||||
| Military payload (6000 kg) | ||||||||
| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 March | Voyager 1 | Flyby of Jupiter | Closest approach: 280,000 kilometres (170,000 mi) | 
| 9 July | Voyager 2 | Flyby of Jupiter | Closest approach: 645,000 kilometres (401,000 mi) | 
| 1 September | Pioneer 11 | Flyby of Saturn | Closest approach: 20,900 kilometres (13,000 mi) | 
| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August 14:16  | 1 hour 23 minutes  | 15:39 |  Salyut 6  PE-3  |   | Removed the KRT-10 antenna that had failed to separate from Salyut and had fouled the aft docking port target. After disposing of the antenna, Ryumin collected samples of damaged insulation and a retrieved a micrometeoroid detector. [4] |