1995 in spaceflight
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First11 January
Last24 December
Total80
Successes72
 | |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 11 January |
| Last | 24 December |
| Total | 80 |
| Successes | 72 |
| Failures | 5 |
| Partial failures | 3 |
| Catalogued | 74 |
| National firsts | |
| Satellite |  Czech Republic (post Czechoslovak) Ukraine (post Soviet) |
| Rockets | |
| Maiden flights | Athena I Conestoga Delta II 7920 Long March 1D Volna Shavit 1 |
| Retirements | Atlas E/F Conestoga Long March 2E Mu-3SII Soyuz-U2 |
| Crewed flights | |
| Orbital | 9 |
| Total travellers | 48 |
This article outlines notable events occurring in 1995 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.
As the third mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, STS-71 became the first Space Shuttle to dock with the Russian space station Mir. STS-71 began on June 27, 1995, with the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis from launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Shuttle delivered a relief crew of two cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin to the station and recovered Increment astronaut Norman Thagard. Atlantis returned to Earth on July 7 with a crew of eight. It was the first of seven straight missions to Mir flown by Atlantis, and the second Shuttle mission to land with an eight-person crew after STS-61-A in 1985.
Orbital launches
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
| Remarks | |||||||
January | |||||||
| 10 January 06:18 |
 Atlas IIAS |
Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
 International Launch Services | ||||
 Intelsat 704 |
Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 15 January 13:45 |
 Mu-3SII |
Uchinoura |
ISAS | ||||
| Express 1 |
ISAS | Low Earth | Material research | 15 January | Failure | ||
| Final flight of Mu-3SII Second stage control malfunction, decayed from orbit shortly after launch over Ghana; Spacecraft intended to be recovered | |||||||
| 24 January 03:54 |
Kosmos-3M |
Plesetsk Site 132/1 |
| ||||
| Tsikada |
MO RF | Low Earth (Polar) | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
 Astrid |
SSC | Low Earth (Polar) | Auroral research | 27 September | Successful | ||
| FAISAT |
FAI | Low Earth (Polar) | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 25 January 22:40 |
 Long March 2E |
Xichang LC-2 |
CASC | ||||
| Apstar 2 |
APT | Intended: Geosynchronous | Communications | 25 January | Launch Failure | ||
| Windshear caused the collapse of the payload fairing and a guidance error caused the launch vehicle to explode; 20-120 ground casualties | |||||||
| 29 January 06:18 |
Atlas II |
Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
| ||||
| USA-108 (UHF F/O F4) |
US Navy | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
February | |||||||
| 3 February 05:22 |
Space Shuttle Discovery |
Kennedy LC-39B |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-63 |
NASA | Low Earth (Mir) | Shuttle-Mir flight | 11 February 11:51 | Successful | ||
| SpaceHab LSM |
NASA/SpaceHab | Low Earth (Discovery) | Scientific research | ||||
| SPARTAN 204 |
NRL | Low Earth | Ultraviolet astronomy | ||||
| ODERACS 2A |
NASA | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 9 March 1996 | Successful | ||
| ODERACS 2B |
NASA | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 28 August | Successful | ||
| ODERACS 2C |
NASA | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 7 February 1996 | Successful | ||
| ODERACS 2D |
NASA | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 2 March | Successful | ||
| ODERACS 2E |
NASA | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 27 February | Successful | ||
| ODERACS 2F |
NASA | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 20 February | Successful | ||
| Crewed orbital flight with six astronauts; First Shuttle-Mir flight (rendezvous only, no docking) ODERACS deployed on 4 February | |||||||
| 15 February 16:48 |
Soyuz-U |
 Baikonur Site 1/5 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Progress M-26 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 15 March 06:15 | Successful | ||
| 16 February 17:39 |
Soyuz-U |
Plesetsk Site 43/4 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Foton 10 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth | Microgravity research | 3 March | Successful | ||
March | |||||||
| 2 March 06:38 |
Space Shuttle Endeavour |
Kennedy LC-39A |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-67 |
NASA | Low Earth | Astronomy | 18 March 21:48 | Successful | ||
| Spacelab Pallets and Igloo |
NASA | Low Earth (Endeavour) | ASTRO-2 | ||||
| EDO Pallet |
NASA | Low Earth (Endeavour) | Cryogenic mission extension pallet | ||||
| Crewed orbital flight with seven astronauts | |||||||
| 2 March 13:00 |
Kosmos-3M |
Plesetsk Site 132/1 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2306 (Taifun-2 #27) |
MO RF | Low Earth | Laser calibration | 30 October 2000 | Successful | ||
| 7 March 09:23 |
Proton-K/DM-2 |
Baikonur Site 200/39 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2307 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 2308 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Kosmos 2309 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 14 March 06:11 |
Soyuz-U2 |
Baikonur Site 1/5 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Soyuz TM-21 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EO-18 | 11 September 06:52 | Successful | ||
| Crewed orbital flight with three cosmonauts including the first American to fly on a Russian rocket | |||||||
| 18 March 08:01 |
H-II |
Tanegashima LA-Y1 |
NASDA[1] | ||||
| Space Flyer Unit |
NASDA | Low Earth | Materials research | 20 January 1996 07:42 | Successful | ||
| Himawari 5 |
NASDA | Low Earth | Weather satellite | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Space Flyer Unit retrieved by Space Shuttle Endeavour during STS-72 in January 1996 | |||||||
| 22 March 04:09 |
Kosmos-3M |
Plesetsk Site 132/1 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2310 (Parus) |
MO RF | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 22 March 06:18 |
Atlas IIAS |
Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
International Launch Services | ||||
| Intelsat 705 |
Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 22 March 16:44 |
Soyuz-U |
Plesetsk Site 43/3 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2311 (Yantar) |
MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 31 May | Successful | ||
| 24 March 14:05 |
Atlas E |
Vandenberg SLC-3W |
| ||||
| USA-109 (DMSP 5D2 F13) |
US Air Force/NOAA | Sun-synchronous | Meteorology | 3 February 2015 | Successful | ||
| Final flight of Atlas E and 1.5 stage-to-orbit configuration of Atlas rocket Satellite exploded on 3 February 2015, leaving at least 47 tracked pieces of debris.[2] | |||||||
| 28 March 10:00 |
Start |
Plesetsk Site 158 |
RVSN | ||||
 Gurwin 1 |
Technion | Intended: Low Earth | Amateur radio | 28 March | Launch Failure | ||
| EKA-2 |
Intended: Low Earth | Boilerplate for vehicle evaluation | |||||
 Oscar 29 |
UNAM/AMSAT | Intended: Low Earth | Amateur radio | ||||
| Failed to orbit, crashed into the Sea of Okhotsk | |||||||
| 28 March 23:14 |
 Ariane 4 (44LP) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
 Brasilsat B2 |
Telebrás | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Hot Bird 1 |
Eutelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
April | |||||||
| 3 April 13:48 |
Pegasus-H |
Stargazer, Vandenberg |
Orbital Sciences | ||||
| Orbcomm F1 |
Orbcomm | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Orbcomm F2 |
Orbcomm | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Orbview 1 |
Orbimage | Low Earth | Earth observation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 5 April 11:16 |
Shavit-1 |
Palmachim |
IAI | ||||
| Ofeq-3 |
IAI | Low Earth (retrograde) | Reconnaissance | 24 October 2000 | Successful | ||
| 7 April 21:47 |
Atlas IIAS |
Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
International Launch Services | ||||
| AMSC-1 |
AMSC | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 9 April 19:34 |
Soyuz-U |
Baikonur Site 1/5 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Progress M-27 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 23 May 03:27 | Successful | ||
 GFZ |
Low Earth | Laser calibration | 23 June 1999 | Successful | |||
| GFZ deployed from Mir on 19 April | |||||||
| 21 April 01:44 |
Ariane 4 (40) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
 ERS-2 |
ESA | Sun-synchronous | Remote sensing | 21 February 2024 17:17[3] | Successful | ||
May | |||||||
| 14 May 13:45 |
Titan IVA (401)/Centaur |
Cape Canaveral LC-40 |
Lockheed Martin | ||||
| USA-110 (Mentor-1) |
NRO | Geosynchronous | SIGINT | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 17 May 06:34 |
Ariane 4 (44LP) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| Intelsat 706 |
Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 20 May 03:33 |
Proton-K |
Baikonur Site 81/23 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Spektr |
Roskosmos/NASA | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir module | 23 March 2001 05:50 | Successful | ||
| Heavily damaged in collision with Progress M-34 on 25 June 1997 | |||||||
| 23 May 05:52 |
Atlas I |
Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
International Launch Services | ||||
| GOES-9 (GOES-J) |
NOAA | Current: Graveyard Operational: Geosynchronous |
Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Retired on 14 June 2007 | |||||||
| 24 May 20:10 |
Molniya-M |
Plesetsk Site 16/2 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2312 (Oko) |
MOM | Molniya | Early warning | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 31 May 15:27 |
Atlas II |
Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
| ||||
| USA-111 (UHF F/O F5) |
US Navy | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
June | |||||||
| 8 June 04:43 |
Tsyklon-2 |
Baikonur Site 90/20 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2313 (EORSAT) |
MO RF | Low Earth | SIGINT | 11 July 1997 | Successful | ||
| 10 June 00:24 |
Ariane 4 (42P) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| DirecTV-2 |
DirecTV | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 22 June 19:58 |
Pegasus-XL |
Stargazer, Vandenberg |
Orbital Sciences | ||||
| STEP 3 |
US Air Force | Intended: Low Earth | Technology development | 22 June | Launch Failure | ||
| Second stage malfunction, destroyed by range safety | |||||||
| 27 June 19:32 |
Space Shuttle Atlantis |
Kennedy LC-39A |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-71 |
NASA | Low Earth (Mir) | Shuttle-Mir flight | 7 July 14:55 | Successful | ||
| Spacelab Long Module 2 |
NASA | Low Earth (Atlantis) | Medical research | ||||
| Crewed orbital flight launching with seven and landing with eight astronauts First Shuttle-Mir docking, exchanged Mir EO-18 for EO-19 (first space station crew exchange using a Space Shuttle) | |||||||
| 28 June 18:25 |
Soyuz-U |
Plesetsk Site 43/3 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2314 (Yantar-4K1) |
MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 September | Successful | ||
July | |||||||
| 5 July 03:09 |
Kosmos-3M |
Plesetsk Site 132/1 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2315 (Tsikada) |
MO RF | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 7 July 16:23 |
Ariane 4 (40) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| Helios 1A |
CNES | Sun-synchronous | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Cerise |
CNES | Sun-synchronous | Radiation research | In orbit | Operational | ||
 LBSAT/UPM-Sat 1 |
UPM | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 10 July 12:38 |
Titan IVA (401)/Centaur |
Cape Canaveral LC-41 |
Lockheed Martin | ||||
| USA-112 (Trumpet-2) |
NRO | Molniya | ELINT | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 13 July 13:41 |
Space Shuttle Discovery |
Kennedy LC-39A |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-70 |
NASA | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | 22 July 12:02 | Successful | ||
| TDRS-7 (TDRS-G) |
NASA | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Crewed orbital flight with five astronauts TDRS deployed on 13 July using an Inertial Upper Stage | |||||||
| 20 July 03:04 |
Soyuz-U |
Baikonur Site 1/5 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Progress M-28 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 4 September 08:58 | Successful | ||
| 24 July 15:52 |
Proton-K/DM-2 |
Baikonur Site 200/39 |
| ||||
| Kosmos 2316 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2317 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2318 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 31 July 23:30 |
Atlas IIA |
Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
| ||||
| USA-113 (DSCS III B-7) |
US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful[4] | ||
August | |||||||
| 2 August 23:59 |
Molniya-M |
Plesetsk Site 43/3 |
VKS | ||||
| Interbol 1 |
Roskosmos | High Earth (elliptical) | Magnetospheric research | 16 October 2000 | Successful | ||
| Magion 4 |
High Earth (elliptical) | Magnetospheric research | 16 October 2000 | Successful | |||
| Magion 4 was the first Czech (post Czechoslovak) satellite | |||||||
| 3 August 22:58 |
Ariane 4 (42L) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| PAS-4 |
PanAmSat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 5 August 11:10 |
Delta II 7925 |
Cape Canaveral LC-17B |
Boeing IDS | ||||
 Koreasat 1 |
Korea Telecom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Partial Failure | ||
| SRM malfunction resulted in incorrect orbit which was corrected using the satellite's own engines at the expense of half of the expected lifespan of the satellite | |||||||
| 9 August 23:59 |
Molniya-M |
Plesetsk Site 43/3 |
VKS | ||||
| Molniya 3-47 |
MOM | Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 15 August 22:30 |
Athena I |
Vandenberg SLC-6 |
Lockheed Martin | ||||
| GemStar 1 (VitaSat) |
VITA | Intended: Low Earth | Communications | +160 seconds | Launch Failure | ||
| Maiden flight of Athena I and first launch from SLC-6 Destroyed by range safety after loss of control system | |||||||
| 29 August 00:53 |
Atlas IIAS |
Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
International Launch Services | ||||
| JCSAT-3 |
JSAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 29 August 06:41 |
Ariane 4 (44P) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| N-STAR a |
NTT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 30 August 19:33 |
Proton-K/DM-2 |
Baikonur Site 200/39 |
VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2319 (Potok) |
MOM | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 31 August 06:49 |
Tsyklon-3 |
Plesetsk Site 32 |
VKS | ||||
| Sich-1 (Okean) |
NKAU | Low Earth | Remote sensing | In orbit | Operational | ||
 FASat-Alfa (FASat-Alfa) |
FACH | Low Earth | Technology development | In orbit | Partial Failure | ||
| Sich 1 was the first Ukrainian satellite; FASat-Alfa intended to be the first Chilean satellite and failed to separate from Sich 1 | |||||||
September | |||||||
| 3 September 09:00 |
Soyuz-U2 |
Baikonur Site 1/5 |
Roskosmos | ||||
| Soyuz TM-22 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EO-20 | 29 February 1996 10:42 | Successful | ||
| Crewed orbital flight with three cosmonauts Final flight of Soyuz-U2 | |||||||
| 7 September 15:09 |
Space Shuttle Endeavour |
Kennedy LC-39A |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-69 |
NASA | Low Earth | Microgravity research | 16 September 11:38 | Successful | ||
| SPARTAN-201 |
NASA | Low Earth | Solar research | ||||
| Wake Shield Facility |
NASA | Low Earth | Materials research | ||||
| IEH-1 |
ESA | Low Earth (Endeavour) | Ultraviolet astronomy | ||||
| Crewed orbital flight with five astronauts SPARTAN deployed on 8 September and retrieved on 10 September; WSF deployed on 7 September and retrieved on 14 September | |||||||
| 24 September 00:06 |
Ariane 4 (42L) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| Telstar 402R |
AT&T | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Power failure on 19 September 2003 resulted in loss of satellite | |||||||
| 26 September 11:20 |
Soyuz-U |
Plesetsk Site 43/4 |
VKS | ||||
| Resurs F2 |
MOM | Low Earth | Resource location | 26 October | Successful | ||
| 29 September 04:25 |
Soyuz-U |
Baikonur Site 31/6 |
VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2320 (Yantar-4KS1) |
MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 September 1996 | Successful | ||
October | |||||||
| 6 October 03:23 |
Kosmos-3M |
Plesetsk Site 132/1 |
VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2321 (Parus) |
MO RF | Low Earth | Navigation | 21 August 1997 | Partial Failure | ||
| Second stage malfunction, placed in useless orbit | |||||||
| 8 October 18:50 |
Soyuz-U |
Baikonur Site 1/5 |
VKS | ||||
| Progress M-29 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 19 December 16:15 | Successful | ||
| 11 October 16:26 |
Proton-K/DM-2 |
Baikonur Site 81/23 |
VKS | ||||
| Luch-1Luch |
MOM | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Retired on 1 June 1999 | |||||||
| 19 October 00:38 |
Ariane 4 (42L) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
 Astra 1E |
SES Astra | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 20 October 13:53 |
Space Shuttle Columbia |
Kennedy LC-39B |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-73 |
NASA | Low Earth | Microgravity research | 5 November 11:46 | Successful | ||
| Spacelab Long Module 1 |
NASA | Low Earth (Columbia) | Spacelab USML-2 | ||||
| EDO Pallet |
NASA | Low Earth (Columbia) | Cryogenic mission extension pallet | ||||
| Crewed orbital flight with seven astronauts | |||||||
| 22 October 08:00 |
Atlas II |
Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
| ||||
| USA-114 (UHF F/O F6) |
US Navy | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 23 October 22:03 |
Conestoga 1620 |
Wallops Island LP-0A |
| ||||
| METEOR | Intended: Low Earth | Microgravity research | + 46 seconds | Launch Failure | |||
| Self-destruct activated after loss of control | |||||||
| 31 October 20:19 |
Zenit-2 |
Baikonur Site 45/1 |
VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2322 (Tselina-2) |
MO RF | Low Earth | SIGINT | In orbit | Operational | ||
November | |||||||
| 4 November 14:22 |
Delta II 7920-10 |
Vandenberg SLC-2W |
Boeing IDS | ||||
 RADARSAT-1 |
CSA | Sun-synchronous | Earth imaging | In orbit | Operational | ||
| SURFSAT |
NASA | Sun-synchronous | Test DSN | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Maiden flight of Delta II 7920 and first Delta II launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base | |||||||
| 6 November 05:51 |
Titan IVA (401)/Centaur |
Cape Canaveral LC-40 |
Lockheed Martin | ||||
| USA-115 (Milstar-2) |
US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 12 November 12:30 |
Space Shuttle Atlantis |
Kennedy LC-39A |
United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-74 |
NASA | Low Earth (Mir) | Shuttle-Mir flight | 20 November 17:02 | Successful | ||
| Mir Docking Module |
Roskosmos/NASA | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir module | 23 March 2001 05:50 | Successful | ||
| Crewed orbital flight with five astronauts | |||||||
| 17 November 01:20 |
Ariane 4 (44P) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| Infrared Space Observatory |
ESA | High Earth (elliptical) | Infrared astronomy | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Retired on 16 May 1998 | |||||||
| 17 November 14:25 |
Proton-K/DM-2 |
Baikonur Site 200/39 |
VKS | ||||
| Gals-2 |
MOM | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 28 November 11:30 |
Long March 2E |
Taiyuan LC-2 |
CASC | ||||
| AsiaSat 2 |
AsiaSat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
December | |||||||
| 2 December 08:08 |
Atlas IIAS |
Cape Canaveral LC-36B |
International Launch Services | ||||
| SOHO |
ESA/NASA | Earth-Sun L1 point | Solar research | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 5 December 21:18 |
Titan IVA (404) |
Vandenberg SLC-4E |
Lockheed Martin | ||||
| USA-116 (KH-12) |
NRO | Sun-synchronous | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 6 December 23:23 |
Ariane 4 (44L) |
Kourou ELA-2 |
Arianespace | ||||
| Telecom 2C |
France Télécom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
 INSAT-2C |
ISRO | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful | ||
| 14 December 06:10 |
Proton-K/DM-2 |
Baikonur Site 200/39 |
VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2323 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2324 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2325 (GLONASS) |
MOM | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 15 December 00:23 |
Atlas IIA |
Cape Canaveral LC-36A |
International Launch Services | ||||
| Galaxy 3R |
PanAmSat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Spacecraft failure | ||
| Failed March 2006 | |||||||
| 18 December 14:31 |
Soyuz-U |
Baikonur Site 1/5 |
VKS | ||||
| Progress M-30 |
Roskosmos | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 22 February 1996 11:02 | Successful | ||
| 20 December 00:52 |
Tsyklon-2 |
Baikonur Site 90/20 |
VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2326 (EORSAT) |
MO RF | Low Earth | SIGINT | 8 November 1997 | Successful | ||
| 28 December 06:45 |
Molniya-M |
Baikonur Site 31/6 |
VKS | ||||
| IRS-1C |
ISRO | Low Earth | Remote sensing | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Skipper |
Utah State | Low Earth | Aerobraking experiment | In orbit | Spacecraft failure | ||
| Skipper suffered a solar array malfunction | |||||||
| 28 December 11:50 |
Long March 2E |
Xichang LC-2 |
CASC | ||||
| EchoStar 1 |
EchoStar | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Final flight of Long March 2E | |||||||
| 30 December 13:48 |
Delta II 7920-10 |
Cape Canaveral LC-17A |
Boeing IDS | ||||
| RXTE |
NASA | Low Earth | X-ray astronomy | 30 April 2018 | Successful | ||
Suborbital launches
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) |
Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
| Remarks | |||||||
January-March | |||||||
| 19 January | UGM-133 Trident II |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 January | Successful | |||
| 19 January | UGM-133 Trident II |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 January | Successful | |||
| 19 January 20:01 |
LGM-118 Peacekeeper |
Vandenberg LF-02 |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 January | Successful | |||
| 23 January 12:30 |
S-520 |
Uchinoura LA-K |
ISAS | ||||
| ISAS | Suborbital | Infrared astronomy | 23 January | Successful | |||
| 25 January 03:54 |
Black Brant XII |
 Andøya |
NASA | ||||
| SCIFER |
NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 25 January | Successful | ||
| Apogee: 1,453 kilometres (903 mi). Launch led to Norwegian rocket incident; Russia briefly mistook the launch as a potential nuclear attack despite receiving prior notice of the launch. | |||||||
| 28 January 16:00 |
S-520 |
Uchinoura LA-K |
ISAS | ||||
| ISAS | Suborbital | Ultraviolet astronomy | 28 January | Successful | |||
| 1 February | LGM-30G Minuteman III |
Vandenberg LF-09 |
US Air Force | ||||
| GT-156GM |
US Air Force | Suborbital | Missile test | 1 February | Successful | ||
| 2 February 15:27 |
Black Brant VIIIC |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 2 February | Successful | |||
| 2 February 15:51 |
Nike Tomahawk |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 2 February | Successful | |||
| 7 February | Storm |
White Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| BTTV-6 |
US Air Force | Suborbital | Target | 7 February | Successful | ||
| 12 February | Aries |
Wallops Island |
BMDO | ||||
| LEAP |
BMDO | Suborbital | Target | 7 February | Successful | ||
| 14 February | M4 |
Centre d'Essais des Landes |
| ||||
| Suborbital | Missile test | 14 February | Successful | ||||
| 24 February 10:21 |
Black Brant XII |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| AMICIST |
NASA | Suborbital | Auroral research | 24 February | Successful | ||
| 4 March | Aries |
Wallops Island |
BMDO | ||||
| LEAP |
BMDO | Suborbital | Target | 4 March | Successful | ||
| 6 March | UGM-96 Trident I |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 6 March | Successful | |||
| 6 March | UGM-96 Trident I |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 6 March | Successful | |||
| 6 March | UGM-96 Trident I |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 6 March | Successful | |||
| 14 March | UGM-96 Trident I |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 14 March | Successful | |||
| 14 March | UGM-96 Trident I |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 14 March | Successful | |||
| 15 March 20:21 |
Nike Orion |
Wallops Island |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Test rocket | 15 March | Successful | |||
| 17 March | LGM-30G Minuteman III |
Vandenberg LF-09 |
US Air Force | ||||
| GT-159GM |
US Air Force | Suborbital | Missile test | 17 March | Successful | ||
| 19 March 15:00 |
Nike Orion |
White Sands |
NASA | ||||
| CWAS-37 |
NASA | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 19 March | Successful | ||
| 21 March 19:11 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| PIMS |
NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 21 March | Successful | ||
| 25 March 08:55 |
Black Brant XCM1 |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 25 March | Successful | |||
| 27 March 15:40 |
Nike Orion |
White Sands |
NASA | ||||
| CWAS-38 |
NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 27 March | Successful | ||
| 28 March | Aries |
Wallops Island |
BMDO | ||||
| LEAP |
BMDO | Suborbital | Target | 28 March | Successful | ||
April-June | |||||||
| 1 April 09:33 |
Black Brant IX |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 1 April | Successful | |||
| 9 April | UGM-133 Trident II |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 9 April | Successful | |||
| 9 April | UGM-133 Trident II |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 9 April | Successful | |||
| 14 April 11:30 |
RT-2PM Topol |
Plesetsk Site 158 |
RVSN | ||||
| RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 14 April | Successful | |||
| 15 April 10:07 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 15 April | Successful | |||
| 18 April 18:00 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Solar research | 18 April | Successful | |||
| 21 April 15:04 |
THAAD |
White Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Test flight | 21 April | Successful | |||
| Maiden flight of THAAD | |||||||
| 24 April | Hera |
White Sands LC-32 |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Test flight | 24 April | Successful | |||
| Maiden flight of Hera | |||||||
| 29 April 05:55 |
Nike Orion |
Esrange |
DLR | ||||
| Mini-Texus 4 |
DLR | Suborbital | Microgravity research | 29 April | Successful | ||
| 2 May 05:55 |
Nike Orion |
Esrange |
DLR | ||||
| Mini-Texus 3 |
DLR | Suborbital | Microgravity research | 2 May | Successful | ||
| 15 May 18:00 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| SERTS-35 |
NASA | Suborbital | Solar research | 15 May | Successful | ||
| 22 May 07:05 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 22 May | Successful | |||
| 29 May | Long March 1D |
Taiyuan LC-1 |
CASC | ||||
| CASC | Suborbital | Test flight | 29 May | Successful | |||
| Maiden flight of Long March 1D | |||||||
| 6 June 22:00 |
Taurus Orion |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 6 June | Successful | |||
| 6 June 22:10 |
Volna |
Submarine, Barents Sea |
Russian Navy | ||||
| TCM |
ZARM | Suborbital | Test flight | 6 June | Successful | ||
| Maiden flight of Volna | |||||||
| 8 June 12:45 |
UR-100N |
Baikonur |
RVSN | ||||
| RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 8 June | Successful | |||
| 14 June | LGM-118 Peacekeeper |
Vandenberg LF-05 |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Missile test | 14 June | Successful | |||
| 26 June | Strypi IX |
Barking Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| ETCE-11 |
US Air Force | Suborbital | Target | 26 June | Failure | ||
| 29 June | Strypi IX |
Barking Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| ETCE-12 |
US Air Force | Suborbital | Target | 29 June | Successful | ||
| 30 June 18:00 |
Terrier-Orion |
Wallops Island |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Test rocket | 30 June | Successful | |||
July-September | |||||||
| 24 July 22:30 |
UGM-133 Trident II |
 HMS Victorious, Eastern Range |
Royal Navy | ||||
| Royal Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 24 July | Successful | |||
| First missile launch from HMS Victorious | |||||||
| 26 July 09:33 |
Nike Orion |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 26 July | Successful | |||
| 31 July | THAAD |
White Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Test flight | 31 July | Successful | |||
| July | DF-21 |
Taiyuan |
| ||||
| Suborbital | Missile test | +15 minutes | Successful | ||||
| 8 August 08:20 |
Nike Orion |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 8 August | Successful | |||
| 16 August | Storm |
White Sands LC-36 |
US Air Force | ||||
| MTD-1 |
US Air Force | Suborbital | GPS targeting | 16 August | Successful | ||
| 16 August | RH-560 |
Sriharikota |
ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Test rocket | 16 August | Successful | |||
| 22 August | UGM-133 Trident II |
HMS Victorious, Eastern Range |
Royal Navy | ||||
| Royal Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 22 August | Successful | |||
| 24 August 20:00 |
TR-1 |
Tanegashima LA-T |
NASDA | ||||
| NASDA | Suborbital | Microgravity research | 24 August | Successful | |||
| 25 August | R-39 Rif |
Submarine, North Pole |
Russian Navy | ||||
| Russian Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 25 August | Successful | |||
| 28 August 17:30 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Test rocket | 28 August | Successful | |||
| 30 August | LGM-118 Peacekeeper |
Vandenberg LF-02 |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Missile test | 30 August | Successful | |||
| 2 September 01:13 |
Black Brant IX |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| Thunderstorm III |
NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 2 September | Successful | ||
| 5 September 07:50 |
RT-2PM Topol |
Plesetsk Site 158 |
RVSN | ||||
| RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 5 September | Successful | |||
| 12 September 18:05 |
Black Brant 9CM1 |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Solar research | 12 September | Successful | |||
| 17 September 07:30 |
S-520 |
Uchinoura LA-K |
ISAS | ||||
| ISAS | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 17 September | Failure | |||
October-December | |||||||
| 2 October | Hera |
White Sands LC-94 |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | Target | 2 October | Successful | |||
| 10 October | RT-2PM Topol |
Plesetsk Site 158 |
RVSN | ||||
| RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 10 October | Successful | |||
| 13 October | Storm |
White Sands SULF |
US Air Force | ||||
| BTTV-9 |
US Air Force | Suborbital | ABM target | 13 October | Successful | ||
| 13 October | THAAD |
White Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | ABM test | 13 October | Successful | |||
| 25 October 13:13 |
Black Brant IX |
 Woomera LA-2-N |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | X-ray astronomy | 25 October | Successful | |||
| 28 October 18:00 |
Black Brant IX |
Woomera LA-2-N |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 28 October | Successful | |||
| 29 October | UGM-96 Trident I |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 29 October | Successful | |||
| 2 November | Kosmos-3MR |
Kapustin Yar Site 107 |
RVSN | ||||
| Re-entry vehicle |
RVSN | Suborbital | Test re-entry vehicle | 2 November | Successful | ||
| 5 November 16:14 |
Black Brant IX |
Woomera LA-2-N |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 5 November | Successful | |||
| 7 November 06:38 |
Black Brant XII |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| OEDIPUS-C |
CSA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 7 November | Successful | ||
| 10 November | DF-21 |
Taiyuan |
| ||||
| Suborbital | Missile test | 10 November | Successful | ||||
| 14 November 17:04 |
Black Brant IX |
Woomera LA-2-N |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 14 November | Successful | |||
| 19 November 15:30 |
Black Brant IX |
Woomera LA-2-N |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 19 November | Successful | |||
| 20 November 17:00 |
Black Brant IX |
Woomera LA-2-N |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Astronomy | 20 November | Successful | |||
| 24 November 14:00 |
Nike Tomahawk |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Ionospheric research | 24 November | Successful | ||||
| 27 November 08:03 |
Nike Tomahawk |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 27 November | Successful | |||
| 27 November 08:07 |
Black Brant VIIIC |
Poker Flat |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 27 November | Successful | |||
| 28 November 09:42 |
Maxus |
Esrange |
SSC | ||||
| DLR | Suborbital | Microgravity research | 28 November | Successful | |||
| 4 December 11:20 |
Black Brant VIIIC |
White Sands LC-36 |
NASA | ||||
| NASA | Suborbital | X-ray astronomy | 4 December | Successful | |||
| 7 December | UGM-133 Trident II |
Submarine, Eastern Range |
US Navy | ||||
| US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 7 December | Successful | |||
| 13 December | Storm |
White Sands SULF |
US Air Force | ||||
| BTTV-10 |
US Air Force | Suborbital | ABM target | 13 December | Successful | ||
| 13 December | THAAD |
White Sands |
US Air Force | ||||
| US Air Force | Suborbital | ABM test | 13 December | Successful | |||
