1986 in spaceflight

1986 in spaceflight

Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates during the launch of STS-51-L, killing seven astronauts
National firsts
Satellite	Sweden
Rockets
Maiden flights	Ariane 2
Retirements	Ariane 1 Space Shuttle Challenger
Manned flights
Orbital	2
Total travellers	9

Launches

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Launch site		LSP
	Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
	Remarks
12 January 11:55	Space Shuttle Columbia		Kennedy LC-39A		United Space Alliance
	STS-61-C	NASA	Low Earth	Satellite deployment	18 January 13:58	Successful
	Satcom K1	RCA Americom	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful
	MSL-2	NASA	Low Earth (Columbia)	Microgravity experiments	18 January 13:58	Successful
	Getaway Special Bridge	NASA	Low Earth (Columbia)	Getaway Special carrier	18 January 13:58	Successful
	Manned orbital flight with seven astronauts; Maiden flight of the Getaway Special Bridge
28 January 16:38	Space Shuttle Challenger		Kennedy LC-39B		United Space Alliance
	STS-51-L	NASA	Intended: Low Earth	Satellite deployment	+ 73 seconds	Launch failure
	TDRS-B	NASA	Intended: Geosynchronous	Communications
	SPARTAN 203	NASA	Intended: Low Earth	Examine Halley's Comet
	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.
9 February 10:06	Atlas H		Vandenberg SLC-3E
	USA-15 (NOSS-8)	US Navy	Low Earth	SIGINT	In orbit	Successful
	USA-16 (NOSS)	US Navy	Low Earth	SIGINT	In orbit	Successful
	USA-17 (NOSS)	US Navy	Low Earth	SIGINT	In orbit	Successful
	USA-18 (NOSS)	US Navy	Low Earth	SIGINT	In orbit	Successful
19 February 21:28	Proton-K		Baikonur Site 200/39
	DOS-7 (Mir Core)		Low Earth (Mir)	Space station	23 March 2001 05:07	Successful
	Core module of the Mir space station
22 February 01:44	Ariane 1		Kourou ELA		Arianespace
	SPOT 1	CNES	Sun-synchronous	Earth observation	In orbit	Successful
	Viking	SSC	Sun-synchronous	Plasma research	In orbit	Successful
	Final flight of Ariane 1 SPOT 1 retired on 31 December 1990 and orbit was lowered to a disposal orbit in 2003 Viking is the first Swedish satellite, and operations concluded on 12 May 1987
13 March 12:33	Soyuz-U2		Baikonur Site 1/5
	Soyuz T-15		Low Earth (Salyut 7 and Mir)	Salyut 7 EO-5 Mir EO-1	16 July 12:34	Successful
	Manned orbital flight with two cosmonauts; Final manned 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.
19 March 10:08	Soyuz-U2		Baikonur Site 1/5
	Progress 25		Low Earth (Mir)	Logistics	21 April 00:48	Successful
28 March 23:30	Ariane 3		Kourou ELA		Arianespace
	GStar 2	GTE Spacenet	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful
	Brasilsat-A2	Embratel	Current: Graveyard Operational: Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful
	Brasilsat-A2 was retired on 6 March 2004 and moved 200 kilometres (120 mi) higher to a graveyard orbit
18 April 17:45	Titan 34D		Vandenberg SLC-4E
	KH-9-20	NRO	Intended: Sun-synchronous	Reconnaissance	+ 8.5 seconds	Launch Failure
	SSF-D-6	NRO	Intended: Sun-synchronous	ELINT
	SRM burnthrough, exploded 8.5 seconds after launch Final flight of the KH-9 spacecraft
23 April 19:40	Soyuz-U2		Baikonur Site 1/5
	Progress 26		Low Earth (Mir)	Logistics	23 June 18:41	Successful
3 May 22:18	Delta 3914		Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17A		McDonnell Douglas
	GOES-G	NOAA, NASA	Geostationary	Weather satellite	3 May	Launch Failure
	Rocket destroyed 71 sec. after liftoff due to engine shutdown; First launch from CCAFS after Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
21 May 08:21	Soyuz-U2		Baikonur Site 1/5
	Soyuz TM-1		Low Earth (Mir)	Test flight	30 May 04:26	Successful
	Maiden flight of Soyuz-TM spacecraft; Unmanned test flight
31 May 00:53	Ariane 2		Kourou ELA		Arianespace
	Intelsat 514	Intelsat	Intended: Geosynchronous	Communications	31 May	Launch Failure
	Maiden flight of Ariane 2; Third stage failed to ignite
28 August 08:02	Molniya-M/2BL		Plesetsk Site 16/2
	Kosmos 1774 (Oko)		Molniya	Missile defence	2 November 2010 15:14[1]	Successful
17 September 15:52	Atlas E/Star-37S-ISS		Vandenberg SLC-3W
	NOAA-10 (NOAA-G)	NOAA	Sun-synchronous	Meteorology	In orbit	Successful
14 November 00:23	Scout G-1		Vandenberg SLC-5		US Air Force
	Polar BEAR P87-1	US Air Force/STP	Low Earth (Polar)		In orbit	Successful
5 December 02:30	Atlas G		Cape Canaveral LC-36B
	USA-20 (FLTSATCOM 7)	US Navy	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful

Deep space rendezvous

Date (GMT)	Spacecraft	Event	Remarks
24 January	Voyager 2	Flyby of Uranus	Closest approach: 71,000 kilometres (44,000 mi)
6 March	Vega 1	Flyby of Halley's Comet	Closest approach: 8,890 kilometres (5,520 mi)
8 March	Suisei	Flyby of Halley's Comet	Closest approach: 151,000 kilometres (94,000 mi)
9 March	Vega 2	Flyby of Halley's Comet	Closest approach: 8,030 kilometres (4,990 mi)
11 March	Sakigake	Distant flyby of Halley's Comet	Closest approach: 6,990,000 kilometres (4,340,000 mi)
14 March	Giotto	Flyby of Halley's Comet	Closest approach: 595 kilometres (370 mi)

EVAs

Start date/time	Duration	End time	Spacecraft	Crew	Remarks
28 May 05:43	3 hours 50 minutes	09:33	Salyut 7 EO-5	Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov	Retrieved test panels from the outside of Salyut 7 and assembled a test "girder-constructor" apparatus in preparation for work on Mir.
31 May 04:57	5 hours	09:57	Salyut 7 EO-5	Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov	Conducted additional tests on the experimental construction equipment, including the welding of several girders joints.

References

Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches". Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report". Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive". Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica". Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive". "NASASpaceFlight.com". "Spaceflight Now". "Space Information Center". JAXA. "Space Calendar". NASA JPL. "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101. "Launch Forecast". Space.com. Clark, Stephen. "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. "U.S. Space Objects Registry". "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. Cosmoworld.ru (in Russian).

Generic references:

Footnotes

1. http://reentrynews.aero.org/1986065a.html