1966 in spaceflight

none March 2025 August 2021 January 2014 no yes yes yes yes 1966 Gemini 8 docking.jpg Gemini 8 about to dock with its Agena target vehicle, the first time two spacecraft dock in orbit. 7 January 29 December 131 111 13 7 118 5 10 Timeline of spaceflight 1965 1967 right on 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 (the Moon). Orbital launches 1966 |colspan=8| January |- 1 7 January 04:48:23 USAThor-Burner 1 USAVandenberg LC-75-2-6 USAUSAF Second stage failed to ignite USAOPS 2394 (DMSP 4A-F5) USAF Planned: Low Earth Meteorology Launch failure 7 January 1 7 January 08:24 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR Third stage failed to put spacecraft in correct orbit USSRKosmos 104 (Zenit-2) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Partial Failure 15 January 3 19 January 20:10 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-2-4 USAUSAF USAKH-7 24 (KH-7 Gambit) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful ??? USAOPS 3179 (Agena Pickaback) Low Earth Technology Successful 23 January 1966 USAOPS 7253 Low Earth Film return Successful 25 January 1966 1 22 January 08:38 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR USSRKosmos 105 (Zenit-2) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 30 January 1 25 January 12:28 USSRKosmos-2I USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR USSRKosmos 106 (DS-P1-I) Low Earth Radar calibration Successful 1 28 January 17:06:00 USAScout-A USAVandenberg PALC-D USA USAOPS 1593 (Transit-O 7) Low Earth Navigation Successful 1 31 January 11:41:37 USSRMolniya-M USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR First spacecraft to soft land on the surface of the Moon and of any planetary object. USSRLuna 9 Lunar transfer Lunar lander Successful 3 February 18:45 |colspan=8| February |- 1 2 February 21:32:13 USAThor-SLV2A Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-1-1 USA USAOPS 7291 (KH-4A Corona 1029) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 27 February 1 3 February 07:41:23 USADelta C USACape Canaveral LC-17A USA USAESSA-1 (Tiros) ESSA Low Earth Meteorology Successful 1 5 February 12:19:49 USSR 1955R-36O USSR 1955Baikonur Site 67/21 USSR 1955RVSN Maiden flight of R-36O, apogee: 200 km USSR 1955OGCh #02L RVSN Suborbital Missile test 5 February Successful 1 9 February 19:45:01 USAThor-SLV2A Agena-D USAVandenberg LC-75-1-2 USA USAOPS 1439 ("Heavy Ferret") NRO Low Earth ELINT Successful 1 10 February 08:52 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR USSRKosmos 107 (Zenit-2) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 18 February 1 11 February 18:00 USSRKosmos USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR USSRKosmos 108 (DS-U1-G) Low Earth Atmospheric research Successful 4 15 February 20:32 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-2-4 USA USAKH-7 25 (KH-7 Gambit) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful ??? USAOPS 1184 Low Earth Film return Successful 22 February 1966 USAOPS 3011 (Bluebell 2 cylinder) Low Earth Radar calibration Successful 17 February 1966 USAOPS 3031 (Bluebell 2 sphere) Low Earth Radar calibration Successful 22 February 1966 1 17 February 08:33:36 FRADiamant A ALGHammaguira Brigitte FRAArmée de Terre FRADipason (D-1A) Armée de Terre Low Earth Geodetic science Successful 1 19 February 08:52 USSRVoskhod USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR USSRKosmos 109 (Zenit-4 #14L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 27 February 1 21 February USSRKosmos (63S1) USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR First stage failure at T+83 seconds USSRDS-K-40 No.2 Planned: Low Earth ELINT Failure 21 February 1 22 February 20:09:36 USSRVoskhod USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR USSRKosmos 110 (Voskhod) Low Earth Uncrewed spacecraft Successful 16 March 1 26 February 16:12:01 USASaturn IB USACape Canaveral LC-34 USANASA First flight of the Apollo Spacecraft and launch vehicle USAApollo AS-201 NASA Sub-orbital Test spacecraft Successful 26 February 16:49:21 1 28 February 13:58:00 USADelta E USACape Canaveral LC-17B USA USAESSA-2 (Tiros) ESSA Low Earth Meteorology Successful |colspan=8| March |- 1 1 March 11:03:49 USSRMolniya 8K78M USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR USSRKosmos 111 (Luna E-6S series) Intended: Lunar transfer Lunar orbiter Launch failure 1 March |- 1 9 March 22:02:03 USAThor-SLV2A Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-1-1 USA USAOPS 3488 (KH-4A Corona 1030) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 29 March |- 1 16 March 15:00:03 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D USACape Canaveral LC-14 USA USAGATV 5003 US Air Force Low Earth Docking target Successful 15 September 1967 |- 1 16 March 16:41:02 USATitan II GLV USACape Canaveral LC-19 USAUS Air Force First docking with the Agena target vehicle USAGemini VIII NASA Low Earth Technology/Biological/Target Successful 17 March 03:22:28 |- 1 17 March 10:28:42 USSRVostok-2 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRKosmos 112 (Zenit-2) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 25 March 1966 05:31 |- 3 18 March 20:00 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-2-4 USA USAKH-7 26 (KH-7 Gambit) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful ??? USAOPS 0879 Low Earth Film return Successful 23 March 1966 USAOPS 0974 Low Earth Film return Successful 24 March 1966 |- 1 21 March 09:40 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR USSRKosmos 113 (Zenit-4 #17L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 29 March |- 1 24 March 14:39 USSR 1955UR-500 (Proton) USSR 1955Baikonur Site 81/23 USSR 1955 2nd stage engine failure T+122 seconds. Suspected collision with the first stage following separation. USSR 1955Proton N-4 #3 (N-4 #3) Intended: Low Earth Physics Launch failure 24 March |- 1 26 March 03:31:00 USAScout-A USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 5 (PALC-D) USA USA Transit-O 8 Low Earth Navigation Successful |- 1 27 March 07:20 USSRMolniya 8K78M USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR 1955 Booster failure USSR 1955Molniya-1 #5 Intended: Molniya Communications technology Launch failure 27 March |- 2 30 March 09:20:12 USASM-65D Atlas D USAVandenberg ABRES-B-3 USAUS Air Force USA OV1-4 US Air Force Low Earth REV test Successful USA OV1-5 Low Earth REV test Successful |- 1 31 March 05:41:04 USAThor-Burner 1 USAVandenberg LC-75-2-6 USAUSAF USAOPS 0340 (DMSP-Block-4A F6) USAF Low Earth Meteorology Successful - 1 31 March 10:46:59 USSRMolniya 8K78M USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR First Soviet lunar orbiter, first discoverer of lunar mascons; Last contact: 30 May 1966 USSRLuna 10 Lunar transfer Lunar orbiter Successful 30 May (last contact) |colspan=8| April |- 1 6 April 11:40 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRKosmos 114 (Zenit-4 #19L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 14 Aprilhttp://www.svengrahn.pp.se/trackind/TKsigs/TKsigs.htm Recovery Beacon Signals from Kosmos Satellites 14 April 2019 |- 3 7 April 22:02:55 USAThor SLV-2A Agena D USAVandenberg PALC1-1 USA USAOPS 1612 (KH-4 Corona 1031) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 26 April 1966 USASRV 1031-1 Low Earth ??? Successful ??? USASRV 1031-2 Low Earth Film return Successful ??? |- 1 8 April 01:00:02 USAAtlas LV-3C Centaur-D USACanaveral LC-36B USANASA Launch vehicle development flight. It carried a mass model of the Surveyor spacecraft. The second Centaur engine firing was unsuccessful. USAAtlas Centaur 8 Surveyor SM-2 NASA Highly elliptical Technology Failurehttps://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/167422main_majorlaunch.pdf Major NASA Launches 14 April 2019 14 April |- 1 8 April 19:35:00 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D USACape Canaveral LC-12 USAUS Air Force USAOAO 1 NASA Low Earth Spacecraft failure |- 2 19 April 19:15 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-2-4 USA USAKH-7 27 (KH-7 Gambit SV 977) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 26 April 1966 USAOPS 0910 Low Earth Film return Successful 22 April 1966 |- 1 20 April 10:40 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 115 (Zenit-2 No. 35L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 28 April 1966 |- 1 22 April 09:45 USAScout-B USAVandenberg PALC-D USAUS Air Force USAOV3-1 USAF Low Earth Radiation belt particle and fields experiments Successful |- 1 25 April 07:10 USSRMolniya 8K78M USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR 1955 Third successful Molniya; also transmitted cloud cover images USSR 1955Molniya-1 #6 Molniya Communications technology Successful 11 June 1973 |- 1 26 April 10:04 USSRKosmos-2I USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR USSRKosmos 116 (DS-P1-Yu No. 6) Low Earth Radar calibration Successful |colspan=8| May |- 3 3 May 19:25:25 USAThor SLV-2A Agena D USAVandenberg 75-3-5 USA USAOPS 1508 (KH-4A Corona 1032) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Failure 3 May USASRV 1032-1 Low Earth Film return Failure 3 May USASRV 1032-2 Low Earth Film return Failure 3 May |- 1 6 May 10:58 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 117 (Zenit-2 No. 39L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 14 May 1966 |- 1 11 May 14:10 USSR 1955Vostok-2M USSR 1955Baikonur LC-31/6 USSR 1955 USSR 1955Kosmos 118 (Meteor #4L) Low Earth Weather 23 November 1988 Successful |- 3 14 May 19:02 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-2-4 USA USAKH-7 28 (KH-7 Gambit SV 978) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 27 October 1970 USAOPS 1950 Low Earth Film return Successful 17 May 1966 USAOPS 6785 Low Earth Film return Successful 21 May 1966 |- 1 15 May 07:55:34 USAThor SLV-2 Agena-B USAVandenberg LC-75-1-1 USAUS Air Force USANimbus 2 (Nimbus C) NASA Low Earth WeatherTechnology Successful |- 1 17 May 11:00 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRUnnamed Kosmos (Zenit-4 #18L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Failure 17 May |- 1 17 May 15:15:03 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D USACape Canaveral LC-14 USA USAGATV 5004 US Air Force Low Earth Docking target Launch failure 17 May |- 1 19 May 02:27:00 USAScout-A USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 5 (PALC-D) USA USATransit-O 9 Low Earth Navigation Successful |- 1 19 May 19:30 USSR 1955R-36O USSR 1955Baikonur Site 67/22 USSR 1955RVSN USSR 1955OGCh #04L RVSN Suborbital Missile test 19 May Successful |- 3 24 May 02:00:33 USAThor SLV-2A Agena D USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 3 (PALC-1-1) USA USA OPS 1778 KH-4A Corona 1033 NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 9 June 1966 USASRV 1033-1 Low Earth Film return Successful ??? USASRV 1033-2 Low Earth Film return Successful ??? |- 1 24 May 05:31? USSRKosmos-2I USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR USSRKosmos 119 (DS-U2-I No. 1) Low Earth Ionospheric research Successful |- 1 25 May 14:00 USAThor Delta C1 USACape Canaveral LC-17B USAUS Air Force USAExplorer 32 (AE-B) NASA Low Earth Atmospheric Successful 22 February 1985 |- 1 30 May 14:41:01 USAAtlas LV-3C Centaur-D AC-10 USACanaveral LC-36A USANASA First American lunar soft-lander USASurveyor 1 NASA Translunar injection Lunar lander Successful 2 June 1966 |- |colspan=8| June |- 1 1 June 15:00:02 USAAtlas SLV-3 USACape Canaveral LC-14 USA Shroud failed to come off target adapter precluding docking USAATDA No. 02186 US Air Force Low Earth Docking target Spacecraft failure 11 June |- 1 3 June 13:39:33 USATitan II GLV USACape Canaveral LC-19 USAUS Air Force Failed attempt to dock with ATDA; two hour EVA by Eugene Cernan USAGemini IX-A NASA Low Earth Technology/Biological/Target Successful 6 June 02:00:23 |- 3 3 June 19:25 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-2-4 USA USAKH-7 29 (KH-7 Gambit SV 979) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 6 June USAOPS 1577 Low Earth Film return Successful 9 June USAOPS 1856 Low Earth Film return Successful 9 June |- 1 7 June 02:48 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-B USACape Canaveral LC-12 USAUS Air Force Routine spacecraft operation was discontinued on 1 December 1969, after which only data from Heppner's experiment (E-11) was acquired. All spacecraft support terminated on 29 February 1972. USAOGO-3 (OGO-B) NASA Low Earth IonosphericMagnetospheric Successful 14 September 1981 |- 1 8 June 11:00 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 120 (Zenit-2 No. 41L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 16 June |- 3 9 June 20:15 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg PALC-1-2 USA USAMidas 10 (Midas RTS-I F1) USAF Low Earth Early Warning Successful 3 December USAERS 16 (ORS 2) Low Earth Technology (performed metal-to-metal bonding experiments) Successful 12 March 1967 USASECOR 6 (Secor Type II S/N 7, EGRS VI) Low Earth Geodetic Successful 6 July 1967 |- 1 10 June 04:15 USAScout-B USAWallops Flight Facility Launch Area 3A USAUS Air Force USAOV3-4 (Personnel Hazards Associated with Space Radiation (PHASR)), OPS-1427https://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app3/ov.html OV USAF Low Earth Tissue equivalent radiation chamber, linear energy transfer spectrometer, electron and proton spectrometers, a solid state charged particle spectrometer and a tri-axial magnetometer. Successful |- 8 16 June 14:01 USATitan IIIC USACape Canaveral LC-41 USA GGTS experiment partially failed because magnetic field in one of the dampers was compromised USAGGTS USAF Geosynchronous Gravity Gradient stabilization test Partial spacecraft failurehttps://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/ggts-1.htm GGTS 1,2 Gunter's Space Report 22 Nov 2019 USAIDCSP 1 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful USAIDCSP 2 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful USAIDCSP 3 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful USAIDCSP 4 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful USAIDCSP 5 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful USAIDCSP 6 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful USAIDCSP 7 Geosynchronous Military communications Successful |- 1 17 Jun 11:00 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRKosmos 121 (Zenit-4 #20L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 25 Jun |- 3 21 Jun 21:23:30 USAThor SLV-2A Agena D USAVandenberg 75-3-5 USA USAOPS 1599 (KH-4A Corona 1034) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 14 July USASRV 1034-1 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 14 July USASRV 1034-2 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 14 July |- 1 24 Jun 21:31:30 USAThor-SLV2A Agena-D USAVandenberg LC-75-1-1 USA USAPAGEOS NASA Low Earth Geodetic Successful 1975 - 2016 |- 1 25 Jun 10:30 USSR 1955Vostok-2M USSR 1955Baikonur LC-31/6 USSR 1955 USSR 1955Kosmos 122 (Meteor #5L) Low Earth Weather 14 November 1989 Successful |- |colspan=8| July |- 1 1 Jul 16:02:25 USAThor Delta E1 USACape Canaveral LC-17A USAUS Air Force USAExplorer 33 (AIMP D) NASA High Earth Magnetospheric research Successful |- 1 5 July 16:12:01 USASaturn IB USACape Canaveral LC-37B USANASA The spacecraft inadvertently destroyed after four orbits USAApollo AS-203 NASA Low Earth S-IVB test Successful 5 July |- 1 6 July 12:57 USSR 1955UR-500 (Proton) USSR 1955Baikonur Site 81/23 USSR 1955 USSR 1955Proton 3 (N-4 #4) Low Earth Cosmic rays and particles research Successful 16 September |- 1 8 July 05:31 USSR 1955Kosmos (63S1) USSR 1955Kapustin Yar Site 86/1 USSR 1955 USSR 1955Kosmos 123 (DS-P1-Yu #5L) Low Earth Radar calibration Successful |- 2 12 July 17:55 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg SLC 4E USA USAKH-7 30 (KH-7 Gambit SV 980) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 20 Jul 1966 USAOPS 1850 SRV Mission 4030 Low Earth Film return Successful July |- 2 14 July 02:10:02 USASM-65D Atlas USAVandenberg ABRES-B-3 USAUS Air Force USAOV1-8 (PasComSat) USAF Low Earth Communications Successful 4 Jan 1978 USAOV1-7 USAF Low Earth X-Ray Astronomy/Ionosphere Failed to orbit 14 July |- 1 14 July 10:25 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 124 (Zenit-2 No. 42L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 22 July |- 1 18 July 20:39:46 USAAtlas-Agena USACape Canaveral LC-14 USA USATDA-1A US Air Force Low Earth Docking target Successful 29 Dec |- 1 18 July 22:20:27 USATitan II GLV USACape Canaveral LC-19 USAUS Air Force Second successful docking with Agena target vehicle; First EVA to another spacecraft, by Michael Collins USAGemini X NASA Low Earth Technology/Biological/Target Successful 21 July 21:07:05 |- 1 20 July 08:58 USSR 1955Soyuz/Vostok USSR 1955Baikonur LC-31 USSR 1955 USSR 1955Kosmos 125 (US-A) No. 111 Low Earth ELINT Successful 2 Aug 1966 |- 1 28 Jul 10:50 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 126 (Zenit-4 #21L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 2 Aug |- 2 29 July 18:30:20 USATitan IIIB USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4W USA USA KH-8 Gambit #1 (OPS 3014) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 6 Aug 1966 USA SRV Mission 4301-1 Low Earth Film return Successful before 6 Aug 1966 |- |colspan=8| August |- 1 4 Aug 10:45:01 USAScout-B USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 5 USAUS Air Force USAOV3-3 USAF Low Earth Radiation belt particle and fields experiments Successful |- 1 8 Aug 11:29 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 127 (Zenit-4 #22L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 16 Aug |- 3 9 Aug 20:46:03 USAThorad SLV-2G Agena D USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 1W USA USAOPS 1545 CORONA J-32 NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 11 Sep USASRV 715 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 11 Sep USASRV 716 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 11 Sep |- 1 10 Aug 19:26:00 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena D USACape Canaveral Launch Complex 13 USA First US spacecraft to orbit Moon. First spacecraft to photograph Earth from the Moon. USALunar Orbiter 1 Lunar Mapping Successful 29 Oct 13:29 |- 4 16 Aug 18:30 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4E USA USAKH-7 31 (OPS 1832) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 24 Aug 1966 USASRV Mission 4031 Low Earth Film return Successful before 24 Aug 1966 USASAMPAN 1 NRO Low Earth ELINT Reconnaissance Successful 5 Mar 1970 USASOUSEA 1 Low Earth ELINT Reconnaissance Successful 5 Mar 1970 |- 1 17 August 15:20:17 USADelta E1 USACape Canaveral LC-17A USANASA USAPioneer 7 (Pioneer B) NASA Heliocentric Scientific Successful |- 1 18 Aug 02:25:02 USAScout-A USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 5 (PALC-D) USA USATransit-O 10 Low Earth Navigation Successful |- 3 19 Aug 1925 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 3E USA USAMidas 11 (Midas RTS-I F2) USAF Low Earth Early Warning Successful USAERS 15 Low Earth Technology (performed metal-to-metal bonding experiments) Successful 12 March 1967 USASECOR 7 (Secor Type II S/N 8, EGRS VII) Low Earth Geodetic Successful |- 1 24 Aug 08:03:21https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/3979 Molniya-M/Blok L - Luna 11 Next Spaceflight 1 March 2025 USSRMolniya-M / Blok-L USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR TV camera failed to return usable images; Last contact: 1 October 1966 USSRLuna 11 Lunar transfer Lunar orbiter Partial spacecraft failure |- 1 25 Aug 17:15:32 USASaturn IB USACape Canaveral LC-34 USANASA Second flight of the Apollo Spacecraft and launch vehicle; resulted in man-rating of Block 1 Apollo and Saturn 1B rocket USAApollo AS-202 NASA Sub-orbital Test spacecraft Successful 25 Aug 18:48:34 |- 8 26 Aug 13:59:56 USATitan IIIC USACape Canaveral LC-41 USA USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug USAIDCSP Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Launch failure 26 Aug |- 1 27 Aug 09:50 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur Cosmodrome USSR USSRKosmos 128 (Zenit-4 #23L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 4 Sep |- |colspan=8| September |- 1 12 Sep 13:05:02 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D USACape Canaveral LC-14 USA USAGATV-5006 US Air Force Low Earth Docking target Successful 30 Dec |- 1 12 Sep 14:42:27 USATitan II GLV USACape Canaveral LC-19 USAUS Air Force First-ever direct-ascent (first orbit) rendezvous with an Agena Target Vehicle, highest apogee orbit for Earth-orbiting crewed mission to date. USAGemini XI NASA Low Earth Technology/Biological/Target Successful 15 Sep 13:59:35 |- 1 16 Sep 09:30 USAThor-Burner 2 USAVandenberg LC-75-2-6 USAUSAF USADMSP-Block-4A 7 (OPS 6026) USAF Low Earth Meteorology Successful |- 1 16 Sep 09:30 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur Cosmodrome USSR USSRUnnamed Zenit-4 (Zenit-4 #40L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Failure 16 Sep |- 4 16 Sep 17:59 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4E USA USAKH-7 32 (OPS 1686) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 23 Sep USASRV Mission 4032 Low Earth Film return Successful before 23 Sep USAFANION 2 NRO Low Earth ELINT Reconnaissance Successful 9 May 1968 USATRIPOS 2 Low Earth ELINT Reconnaissance Successful 9 May 1968 |- 1 17 Sep 22:35 USSR 1955R-36O USSR 1955Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 162/36 USSR 1955RVSN First attempted orbital Fractional Orbital Bombardment System test. USSR 1955OGCh #05L RVSN LEO Missile test 11 Nov Partial launch failure |- 1 20 Sep 12:32:00 USAAtlas LV-3C Centaur-D USACanaveral LC-36A USANASA Mid-course correction failure resulted in the spacecraft losing control. Contact was lost with the spacecraft at 9:35 UTC, 22 September. USASurveyor 2 NASA Highly elliptical Lunar Lander Spacecraft failure 23 Sep |- 3 20 Sep 21:14:05 USAThor SLV-2A Agena D USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 3W USA USAKH-4A Corona 1035 (OPS 1703) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 12 Oct USASRV 1035-1 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 12 Oct USASRV 1035-2 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 12 Oct |- 1 26 Sep 02:58 JPNLambda 4S JPNKagoshima Pad L JPNJAXA JPNL-4S-1 JAXA Launch failure 26 Sep |- 2 28 Sep 19:07 USATitan IIIB USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4W USA USA KH-8 Gambit #2 (OPS 4096) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 7 Oct USA SRV Mission 4302-1 Low Earth Film return Successful before 7 Oct |- |colspan=8| October |- 1 2 October 10:39:03 USADelta E USAVandenberg SLC 2E USA USAESSA-3 (Tiros) ESSA Low Earth Meteorology Successful |- 2 5 Oct 22:00 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg Vandenberg SLC 3E USA USAMidas 12 (Midas RTS-I F3) USAF Low Earth Early Warning Successful USAEGRS VIII (SECOR Type II S/N 9 ) Low Earth Geodetic Successful |- 3 12 Oct 19:15 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4E USA USAKH-7 33 (OPS 2055) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 20 Oct USASRV Mission 4033 Low Earth Film return Successful before 20 Oct USASpace Ground Link System (SLGS) 1 (OPS 5345) NRO Low Earth Technology Successful 21 Oct |- 1 14 Oct 12:13:08 USSRVostok-2 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRKosmos 129 (Zenit-2 No. 33L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 21 Oct |- 1 20 Oct 07:50 USSRMolniya 8K78M USSRBaikonur Site 1 USSR 1955 USSR 1955Molniya-1 #7 Molniya Communications technology Successful 11 Sep 1968 |- 1 20 Oct 08:46 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRBaikonur Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 USSR USSRKosmos 130 (Zenit-4 #24L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 28 Oct |- 1 22 Oct 08:42:26 USSRMolniya 8K78M USSRBaikonur LC-31/6 USSR Took high-resolution photos of the Moon's surface from lunar orbit. Last contact: 19 Jan 1967 USSRLuna 12 Lunar transfer Lunar orbiter Successful |- 1 26 Oct 11:12:02 USAAtlas LV-3C Centaur-D USACanaveral LC-36B USANASA Launch vehicle development flight. It carried a mass model of the Surveyor spacecraft. USAAtlas Centaur 9 Surveyor SM-3 NASA Highly elliptical Technology Successful |- 1 26 Oct 23:05:00 USADelta E1 USACape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17B USANASA UNIntelsat II F-1 (Blue Bird) Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications Successful |- 1 28 Oct 11:56:02 USAScout-B USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 5 USAUS Air Force USAOV3-2 USAF Low Earth Radiation belt particle and fields experiments Successful 29 Sep 1971 |- |colspan=8| November |- 1 2 Nov 00:45:03 USSR 1955R-36O USSR 1955Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 162/36 USSR 1955RVSN Second attempted orbital Fractional Orbital Bombardment System test. USSR 1955OGCh #06L RVSN LEO Missile test 29 Nov Spacecraft failure |- 3 2 Nov 20:24 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4E USA USAKH-7 34 (OPS 2070) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 10 Nov USASRV Mission 4034 Low Earth Film return Successful before 10 Nov USASpace Ground Link System (SLGS) 2 (OPS 5424) NRO Low Earth Technology Successful 16 Nov |- 5 3 Nov 13:50:42 USATitan IIIC USACape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 USA USAManned Orbiting Laboratory mockup USAF Low Earth MOL mockup Successful 9 Jan 1967 USAOV4-1R Low Earth Communications Successful 5 Jan 1967 USAOV4-1T Low Earth Communications Successful 11 Jan 1967 USAOV1-6S Low Earth Optical target deployment Successful 31 Dec USAGemini B Low Earth Geosynchronous Communications Successful 3 Nov (suborbital test) |- 1 6 Nov 23:21:00 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena D USACape Canaveral Launch Complex 13 USA USALunar Orbiter 2 Lunar Mapping Successful 11 Oct 67 |- 3 8 Nov 19:53:02 USAThorad SLV-2G Agena D USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 1W USA USAOPS 1866 CORONA J-38 NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 29 Nov USASRV 727 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 29 Nov USASRV 728 Low Earth Film return Successful Before 29 Nov |- 1 11 Nov 19:07:59 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D USACape Canaveral LC-14 USA USAGATV-5007 NASA Low Earth Docking target Successful 23 Dec |- 1 11 Nov 20:46:33 USATitan II GLV USACape Canaveral LC-19 USAUS Air Force Final Gemini flight USAGemini XII NASA Low Earth Technology/Biological/Target Successful 15 Nov 19:21:04 |- 1 12 Nov 09:50 USSRVoskhod 11A57 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRKosmos 131 (Zenit-4 #25L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 20 Nov |- 1 16 Nov 13:00 USSRKosmos-3 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/5 USSR USSRStrela-2 #2L Low Earth Communications Launch failure 16 Nov |- 1 19 Nov 08:00 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 132 (Zenit-4 #46L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 27 Nov |- 1 28 Nov 11:00:00 USSRSoyuz (rocket) USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR First test of Soyuz 7K-OK crewed spacecraft USSRKosmos 133 (Soyuz 7K-OK No. 2) Low Earth Crewed spacecraft Successful 30 Nov 10:21 |- |colspan=8| December |- 1 3 Dec 08:15 USSRVostok-2 USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR USSRKosmos 134 (Zenit-4 #26L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 11 Dec 3 5 Dec 21:09 USAAtlas-SLV3 Agena-D USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4E USA USAKH-7 35 (OPS 1890) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 14 Dec USASRV Mission 4035 Low Earth Film return Successful before 14 Dec USAAgena Engine Diagnostic 1 NRO Low Earth Technology Successful 8 Dec |- 1 7 Dec 02:12:01 USAAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D USACape Canaveral LC-12 USA The first experimental equatorial synchronous satellite. USAATS-1 (Applications Technology Satellite) NASA Geostationary Communications/weather Successful |- 2 11 Dec 21:09:57 USASM-65D Atlas D USAVandenberg ABRES-B-3 USAUS Air Force USA OV1-9 US Air Force Low Earth Radiation studies Successful USA OV1-10 Low Earth Radiation studies Successful 30 Nov 2002 |- 1 12 December 20:38? USSRKosmos-2I USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR USSRKosmos 135 Planned: Low Earth Micrometeoroid Successful 12 April 1967 |- 1 14 Dec 11:00:00 USSRSoyuz (rocket) USSRBaikonur LC-31 USSR Second test of Soyuz 7K-OK crewed spacecraft USSRSoyuz 7K-OK No.1 Low Earth Crewed spacecraft Launch failure 14 Dec |- 2 14 Dec 18:14 USATitan IIIB USAVandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4W USA USA KH-8 Gambit #3 (OPS 8968) NRO Low Earth Optical Reconnaissance Successful 24 Dec USA SRV Mission 4303 Low Earth Film return Successful before 24 Dec |- 1 14 December 19:20:03 USADelta G USACape Canaveral LC-17A USA USABiosatellite 1 NASA Low Earth Bioscience Successful 15 February 1967 |- 1 19 Dec 12:00:01 USSRVostok-2 USSRPlesetsk LC-41/1 USSR USSRKosmos 136 (Zenit-4 #47L) Low Earth Optical reconnaissance Successful 27 Dec |- 1 20 Dec 02:20 JPNLambda 4S JPNKagoshima Pad L JPNJAXA JPNL-4S-2 JAXA Launch failure 20 Dec |- 1 21 Dec 10:17:08 USSRMolniya-M USSRBaikonur Site 1 USSR Last contact: 28 December 1966, 06:13 USSRLuna 13 Lunar transfer Lunar lander Successful 24 Dec |- 1 21 Dec 13:12? USSRKosmos (63S1) USSRKapustin Yar LC-86/1 USSR Last contact: 12 May 1967 USSRKosmos 137 Planned: Low Earth Magnetosphere Successful 23 Nov 1967 |- 1 21 Dec 22:15:02 USAAtlas SLV-3 USACape Canaveral Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3E USA First test of PRIME USASV-5D FV-1 US Air Force Low Earth Lifting body reentry test Successful 21 Dec |- 1 29 Dec 12:00:06 USAThor SLV-2A Agena D USAVandenberg Space Launch Complex 2W USA USAMULTIGROUP 1/SETTER 1A (OPS 1584) NRO Low Earth ELINT Successful 5 Apr 1969 |colspan=8| |} 1966 Suborbital launches 1966 |colspan=8| January-December |- 1 14 JulyWade Mark T-7 http://astronautix.com/t/t-7.html 2024-08-15 astronautix.com PRCT-7A-S2 PRCShijiedu PRCSIED Apogee: 100 km PRCCapsule with a dog Suborbital Biology experiment 14 July Successful 1 28 July PRCT-7A-S2 PRCShijiedu PRCSIED Apogee: 100 km PRCCapsule with a dog Suborbital Biology experiment 28 July Successful |colspan=8| |} 1966 Gemini and Apollo launches Launch Date/Time Rocket Launch Site Launch Contractor Payload Operator Orbit Mission/Function Re-Entry/Destruction Outcome Remarks16 March 15:00 GMTAtlas DLC-14, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGATV 5003NASALEOGemini docking target.15 September 1967SuccessfulUsed by Gemini 8 and Gemini 1016 March 16:41 GMTTitan IILC-19, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGemini 8, 2 AstronautsNASALEOCrewed Orbital Flight17 March 1966Partial FailureFirst docking in space. (with GATV). OAMS malfunction caused loss of control. Spacecraft became low on fuel after recovering. Terminated early.17 May 15:12 GMTAtlas DLC-14, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGATV 5004NASALEOGemini docking target.17 May 1966FailureFailed to reach orbit. Intended for use by Gemini 91 June 15:00 GMTAtlas SLV-3LC-14, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceATDA 02186NASALEOGemini docking target.11 June 1966FailureFairing failed to separate Intended for use by Gemini 9A3 June 16:41 GMTTitan IILC-19, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGemini 9A, 2 AstronautsNASALEOCrewed Orbital Flight6 June 1966Partial FailureUnable to complete primary objective - Docking with ATDA - due to ATDA payload fairing malfunction5 July 14:53 GMTSaturn IB (C-1B)LC-37B, Cape CanaveralNASA(none)N/AN/ATest launch vehicleN/ASuccessful18 July 20:39 GMTAtlas DLC-14, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGATV 5005NASALEOGemini docking target.29 December 1966SuccessfulUsed by Gemini 1018 July 22:20 GMTTitan IILC-19, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGemini 10, 2 AstronautsNASALEOCrewed Orbital Flight21 July 1966Successful25 August 17:15 GMTSaturn IB (C-1B)LC-34, Cape CanaveralNASAApollo Spacecraft (AS-202)NASASub-orbitalTest Apollo Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle25 August 1966 18:48 GMTSuccessful12 September 13:05 GMTAtlas DLC-14, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGATV 5006NASALEOGemini docking target.30 December 1966SuccessfulUsed by Gemini 1112 September 14:42 GMTTitan IILC-19, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGemini 11, 2 AstronautsNASALEOCrewed Orbital Flight15 September 1966SuccessfulAltitude record for crewed Earth-Orbit flight11 November 20:46 GMTAtlas DLC-14, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGATV 5001ANASALEOGemini docking target.23 December 1966FailureFailed to ignite. Used by Gemini 1211 November 20:46 GMTTitan IILC-19, Cape CanaveralUS Air ForceGemini 12, 2 AstronautsNASALEOCrewed Orbital Flight15 November 1966SuccessfulFinal Gemini flight Deep Space Rendezvous Date (UTC)SpacecraftEventRemarks 3 February Luna 9 First lunar landing in Oceanus Procellarum; first soft landing on a celestial body and first images from lunar surface 27 February Venera 2 Flyby of Venus Communication lost en route 1 March Venera 3 First Venus impact Communication lost en route 3 April Luna 10 Selenocentric orbit insertion first orbiter of the Moon 2 June Surveyor 1 Lunar landing in Oceanus Procellarum 14 August Lunar Orbiter 1 Selenocentric orbit insertion Returned 211 images 27 August Luna 11 Selenocentric orbit insertion 23 September Surveyor 2 Lunar impact Failed lander, impacted Sinus Medii 25 October Luna 12 Selenocentric orbit insertion 29 October Lunar Orbiter 1 Lunar impact 10 November Lunar Orbiter 2 Selenocentric orbit injection Returned 184 images 24 December Luna 13 Lunar landing in Oceanus Procellarum EVAs Start date/timeDurationEnd timeSpacecraftCrewRemarks5 June15:022 hours7 minutes17:09Gemini IX-AUSAEugene CernanA complex EVA was planned.http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/gemini/gemini-ix-a/gemini-ix-a.html NASA Project Gemini IX-A (9) 2009-01-01 Jim Dumoulin 2000-08-25 NASA Historical Archive for Manned Missions NASA https://web.archive.org/web/20090119085317/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/gemini/gemini-ix-a/gemini-ix-a.html 19 January 2009 live Cernan expended four to five times the expected effort, raising his pulse as high as 180 beats per minute. Excess heat and respiration completely fogged visor, causing the EVA to be cut short. Cernan also had difficulty returning to spacecraft and closing the hatch.Cernan "The Last Man on the Moon", p. 129-144.19 July21:4449 Minutes22:33Gemini XUSAMichael CollinsCollins performed a stand-up EVA. Instead of climbing completely out of the spacecraft, Collins extended his torso outside the spacecraft to take photos before and after capsule sunrise. Color photography after sunrise was only partly completed due to severe eye irritation of both Collins and Command Pilot Young. Handling the camera proved difficult due to stiffness of spacesuit gloves.https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19750067644_1975067644.pdf Gemini Program Mission Report: Gemini X 2009-01-02 Mathews Charles W. Low, George M. National Aeronautics and Space Administration 7‑5, 7‑31 August 196620 July23:0139 minutes23:40Gemini XUSAMichael CollinsUmbilical EVA; with more difficulty than expected, Collins collected the micrometeorite collection package from the outside of Gemini. Then, using the Hand Held Maneuvering Unit, he pushed to the nearby Agena-8 to collect its micrometeorite collection package. Collins then pulled on the umbilical cord to return and re-enter the spacecraft.Mathews Gemini Program Mission Report: Gemini X, p. 7-3213 September14:4433 minutes15:17Gemini XIUSARichard F. Gordon Jr.Gordon attached a tether between Gemini and Agena 11 for later orbital mechanics testing. While making the attachment, his work load exceeded the spacesuit cooling system, and his vision became obscured by a fogged visor and sweat in his eyes. Planned activities were curtailed by Command Pilot Conrad and Gordon returned to the spacecraft.https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1966-081A Gemini 11 2008-01-03 2008 National Space Science Data Center National Aeronautics and Space Administration14 September12:492 hours8 minutes14:57Gemini XIUSARichard F. Gordon Jr.Gordon performed a stand-up EVA. He extended through the hatch to take astronomical photos. Conrad reported the spacewalk was so relaxing they both fell asleep for a moment after sunrise.Chaikin Andrew A Man on the Moon Penguin Books 1998 New York 243 0-670-81446-6 registration https://archive.org/details/manonmoonvoyages00chai 12 November16:152 hours29 minutes18:44Gemini XIIUSABuzz AldrinAldrin performed a stand-up EVA. Aldrin stood, took UV still photos and 16 mm color movie pictures, collected external experimental samples, and conducted a light exercise routine.https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19790076631_1979076631.pdf Gemini XII Program Mission Report 2008-01-05 Mathews Charles W. Low, George M. January 1967 National Aeronautics and Space Administration 7–2713 November15:342 hours6 minutes17:40Gemini XIIUSABuzz AldrinFirst completely successful umbilical EVA, with all objectives achieved. Aldrin was able to control his movements and restrict his work load using techniques developed using underwater zero gravity simulations. He also benefited from experiences of the previous American EVAs and was able to move around the outside of the craft, deploy and recover various experimental packages, install and remove cameras, and practice work techniques using a ratchet-type wrench.Mathews, Gemini XII Program Mission Report, p. 7-28, 7-29, 7-4314 November14:5255 minutes15:47Gemini XIIUSABuzz AldrinAldrin performed a second stand-up EVA. He again extended outside the hatch to take photographs and repeat the light exercise experiment. Exertion levels during exercise were comparable to preflight simulations. Equipment and waste food containers not needed for reentry were jettisoned from the spacecraft.Mathews, Gemini XII Program Mission Report, p. 7-30 Orbital launch statistics By country 120 false left United States: 80 #484785 Soviet Union: 53 #a52a2a Japan: 2 #ffffff France: 1 #318ce7 + Launches by country Country Launches Successes Failures Partialfailures 1 1 0 0 1870 2First launch attempt 0 2 0 USSR 1955 53 42 9 2 80 74 7 0 World 1 2 53 80 1 0 42 74 0 2 9 7 0 0 2 0 References Footnotes 1966 on Category:Spaceflight by year