1986 in spaceflight

none January 2014 January 2014 March 2022 yes yes 1986 Challenger explosion.jpg 099 disintegrates during the launch of STS-51-L, killing all seven astronauts Ariane 2 Ariane 1099 2 9 Timeline of spaceflight 1985 1987 right on The year 1986 saw the destruction of Space Shuttle Challenger shortly after lift-off, killing all seven aboard,NASA - STS-51L Mission Profile https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-51L.html NASA.gov 19 January 2016 NASA 3 March 2017 5 May 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170505145220/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-51L.html live the first in-flight deaths of American astronauts. This accident followed the successful flight of Columbia just weeks earlier,Mission Archives: STS-61-C https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-61C.html NASA.gov NASA 3 March 2017 2 August 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170802022610/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-61C.html live and dealt a major setback to the U.S. crewed space program, suspending the Shuttle program for 32 months.Mission Archives: STS-26 https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-26.html NASA.gov NASA 19 February 2017 3 August 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170803165004/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-26.html live The year also saw numerous fly-bys of Halley's Comet as well as other successes. 2 Launches August 2008 1986 |colspan="8"| January |- 4 12 January 11:55 USA102 USAKennedy LC-39A USAUnited Space Alliance Crewed orbital flight with seven astronauts; Maiden flight of the Getaway Special Bridge USASTS-61-C NASA Low Earth Satellite deployment Successful 18 January 13:58 USASatcom K1 RCA Americom Geosynchronous Communications Successful USAMSL-2 NASA Low Earth (Columbia) Microgravity experiments Successful 18 January 13:58 USAGetaway Special Bridge NASA Low Earth (Columbia) Getaway Special carrier Successful 18 January 13:58 3 28 January 16:38 USASpace Shuttle 099 no USAKennedy LC-39B USAUnited Space Alliance Space Shuttle Challenger disaster; Vehicle disintegrated at + 73 seconds from an O-ring failure in the right SRB.All seven astronauts were killed, including Christa McAuliffe, the intended first Teacher in Space.First Shuttle launch from LC-39B. USASTS-51-L NASA Intended: Low Earth Satellite deployment Launch failure 3 + 73 seconds 3 USATDRS-B NASA Intended: Geosynchronous Communications inherit inherit USASPARTAN 203 NASA Intended: Low Earth Examine Halley's Comet inherit inherit |colspan="8"| February |- 4 9 February 10:06 USAAtlas H USAVandenberg SLC-3E USA USAUSA-15 (NOSS-8) US Navy Low Earth SIGINT Successful USAUSA-16 (NOSS) US Navy Low Earth SIGINT Successful USAUSA-17 (NOSS) US Navy Low Earth SIGINT Successful USAUSA-18 (NOSS) US Navy Low Earth SIGINT Successful 1 19 February 21:28 USSRProton-K USSRBaikonur Site 200/39 USSR Core module of the Mir space station USSRDOS-7 (Mir Core) Low Earth (Mir) Space station Successful 23 March 2001 05:07 2 22 February 01:44 FRAAriane 1 FRAKourou ELA FRAArianespace Final flight of Ariane 1SPOT 1 retired on 31 December 1990 and orbit was lowered to a disposal orbit in 2003Viking is the first Swedish satellite, and operations concluded on 12 May 1987 FRASPOT 1 CNES Sun-synchronous Earth observation Successful SWEViking SSC Sun-synchronous Plasma research Successful |colspan="8"| March |- 1 13 March 12:33 USSRSoyuz-U2 USSRBaikonur Site 1/5 USSR Crewed orbital flight with two cosmonauts; Final crewed spaceflight to Salyut 7 and the first to Mir.Final flight of the Soyuz-T spacecraft.Only spacecraft to dock with two space stations during one flight. USSRSoyuz T-15 Low Earth(Salyut 7 and Mir) Salyut 7 EO-5Mir EO-1 Successful 16 July 12:34 1 19 March 10:08 USSRSoyuz-U2 USSRBaikonur Site 1/5 USSR USSRProgress 25 Low Earth (Mir) Logistics Successful 21 April 00:48 2 28 March 23:30 FRAAriane 3 FRAKourou ELA FRAArianespace Brasilsat-A2 was retired on 6 March 2004 and moved 200 km higher to a graveyard orbit USAGStar 2 GTE Spacenet Geosynchronous Communications Successful BRABrasilsat-A2 Embratel Current: GraveyardOperational: Geosynchronous Communications Successful |colspan="8"| April |- 2 18 April 17:45 USATitan 34D USAVandenberg SLC-4E USA SRM burnthrough, exploded 8.5 seconds after launchFinal flight of the KH-9 spacecraft USAKH-9-20 NRO Intended: Sun-synchronous Reconnaissance Launch Failure 2 + 8.5 seconds 2 USASSF-D-6 NRO Intended: Sun-synchronous ELINT inherit inherit 1 23 April 19:40 USSRSoyuz-U2 USSRBaikonur Site 1/5 USSR USSRProgress 26 Low Earth (Mir) Logistics Successful 23 June 18:41 |colspan="8"| May |- 1 3 May 22:18 USADelta 3914 USACape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17A USAMcDonnell Douglas Rocket destroyed 71 sec. after liftoff due to engine shutdown; First launch from CCAFS after Space Shuttle Challenger disaster USAGOES-G NOAA, NASA Geostationary Weather satellite Launch Failure 3 May 1 21 May 08:21 USSRSoyuz-U2 USSRBaikonur Site 1/5 USSR Maiden flight of Soyuz-TM spacecraft; Uncrewed test flight USSRSoyuz TM-1 Low Earth (Mir) Test flight Successful 30 May 04:26 1 31 May 00:53 FRAAriane 2 FRAKourou ELA FRAArianespace Maiden flight of Ariane 2; Third stage failed to ignite UNIntelsat 514 Intelsat Intended: Geosynchronous Communications Launch Failure 31 May |colspan="8"| August |- 1 28 August 08:02 USSRMolniya-M/2BL USSRPlesetsk Site 16/2 USSR USSRKosmos 1774 (Oko) Molniya Missile defence Successful 2 November 2010 15:14 |colspan="8"| September |- 1 5 September 15:08 USADelta 3920 USACape Canaveral LC-17B USA NASA Satellite impactor test for the Strategic Defense Initiative. USAUSA-19 (Delta 180) SDIO LEO Sensor development Successful 28 October 1986 1 17 September 15:52 USAAtlas E/Star-37S-ISS USAVandenberg SLC-3W USA USANOAA-10 (NOAA-G) NOAA Sun-synchronous Meteorology Successful |colspan="8"| November |- 1 14 November 00:23 USAScout G-1 USAVandenberg SLC-5 USAUS Air Force USAPolar BEAR P87-1 US Air Force/STP Low Earth (Polar) Successful |colspan="8"| December |- 1 5 December 02:30 USAAtlas G USACape Canaveral LC-36B USA USAUSA-20 (FLTSATCOM 7) US Navy Geosynchronous Communications Successful |} 1986 Deep space rendezvous Date (GMT)SpacecraftEventRemarks24 January Voyager 2 Flyby of Uranus Closest approach: 71000 km6 March Vega 1 Flyby of Halley's Comet Closest approach: 8890 km8 March Suisei Flyby of Halley's Comet Closest approach: 151000 km9 March Vega 2 Flyby of Halley's Comet Closest approach: 8030 km11 March Sakigake Distant flyby of Halley's Comet Closest approach: 6990000 km14 March Giotto Flyby of Halley's Comet Closest approach: 595 km EVAs Start date/timeDurationEnd timeSpacecraftCrewRemarks28 May05:433 hours50 minutes09:33Salyut 7 EO-5USSRLeonid KizimUSSRVladimir SolovyovRetrieved test panels from the outside of Salyut 7 and assembled a test "girder-constructor" apparatus in preparation for work on Mir.31 May04:575 hours09:57Salyut 7 EO-5USSRLeonid KizimUSSRVladimir SolovyovConducted additional tests on the experimental construction equipment, including the welding of several girders joints. References Timeline of spaceflight 1986 1985 1987 Category:Spaceflight by year