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1971 in spaceflight
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| year | 1971 |
| image | The Soviet Union 1971 CPA 4060 stamp (Cosmonauts Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev).jpg |
| caption | Salyut 1, the first space station and Soyuz 11, the first mission to successfully dock with it, were launched in 1971. The crew were killed during reentry when their spacecraft depressurised |
| first | 12 January |
| last | 29 December |
| total | 133 |
| success | 118 |
| failed | 15 |
| catalogued | 120 |
| firstlaunch | |
| maidens | Soyuz-M |
| Delta M6 | |
| Thor LV-2F Burner IIA | |
| Titan III(24)B | |
| Titan III(33)B | |
| Titan IIID | |
| retired | Black Arrow |
| Delta E1 | |
| Delta M | |
| Delta M6 | |
| Delta N6 | |
| Europa | |
| Long March 1 | |
| R-36OM | |
| Soyuz-L | |
| Thor LV-2F Burner II | |
| Thorad SLV-2G Agena-D | |
| Titan III(23)B | |
| orbital | 4 |
| suborbital | |
| totalcrew | 12 |
Delta M6 Thor LV-2F Burner IIA Titan III(24)B Titan III(33)B Titan IIID Delta E1 Delta M Delta M6 Delta N6 Europa Long March 1 R-36OM Soyuz-L Thor LV-2F Burner II Thorad SLV-2G Agena-D Titan III(23)B
1971 saw the last three known deaths of cosmonauts of the Soviet space program and the only deaths in space. Their mission was to man humanity's first space station. The experimental bay door failed to separate so the first crew failed to dock and second crew were killed on re-entry. 1971 also saw the launch of the first and only British satellite on top of a British rocket after that success the program was cancelled.
Orbital launches
January
|- |d-date = 25 January |d-date = 21 February 1972 |d-date = 14 July 2005 |d-date = 2 February |d-date = 9 February |d-date = January |d-date = February |d-date = 16 June |d-date = 9 February |d-time = 21:05 |d-date = 5 February |d-time = 09:17
February
|- |d-date = 25 February (destroyed) |d-date = 17 October 1989 |d-date = 20 September 1989 |d-date = 7 January 1990 |d-time = +18 seconds |d-date = 6 April 1980 |d-date = 3 March Final: Medium Earth Final: Medium Earth |d-date = 10 December 1995
March
|- |d-date = 17 March |d-date = 17 June 1979 |d-time = +133 seconds |d-date = 5 March |d-span=2 |d-span = inherit |o-span = inherit |d-date = 2 October 1974 |d-date = 4 April (destroyed) |d-date = 12 April |d-date = 9 April
April
|- |d-date = 6 May |d-date = 14 April |d-date = 4 April |d-date = 3 November 2023 |d-time = 03:27 |d-date = 24 April |d-date = 28 January 1980 |d-date = 10 January 1991 |d-date = 11 October |d-date = 13 May |d-date = April/May |d-date = May |d-date = 24 April |d-time = 23:40:00 |d-date = 29 November |d-date = 29 December
May
|- |d-date = 18 May |d-date = 25 May |d-date = 9 May Achieved: Low Earth |d-date = 12 May |d-date = 29 May |d-date = 8 November |d-date = 27 November |d-date = 26 November |d-date = 10 June |d-date = 2 December |d-date = 15 January 1980
June
|- |d-date = 11 May 2002 |d-date = 29 June |d-time = 23:16:52 |d-date = 31 January 1982 |d-date = 23 June |d-date = 6 August |d-date = 20 June |d-date = 26 June |d-date = 10 July |d-date = 15 July |d-date = 6 July |d-date = 13 July |d-date = 25 June |d-time = +51 seconds |d-span=2 |d-span=inherit |o-span=inherit
July
|- |d-date = 15 December 1979 |d-date = 27 August 1991 |d-date = 31 August 1978 |d-date = 2 August |d-date = 22 July |d-date = 5 August |d-date = 7 August |d-time = 20:45:53 |d-date = 30 July |d-time = 22:16:29 |d-date = 1974 |d-date = 19 July 1977 |d-date = 11 August
August
|- |d-time = +204 seconds |d-date = 18 August |d-date = 29 August |d-date = 29 August |d-date = 31 January 1972 |d-date = 19 September |d-date = 2 November 1979 |d-date = 18 March 1979 |d-date = 11 June 1972 |d-date = 1 September 1981 |d-date = 9 August Final: Medium Earth |d-date = 23 August 1981 |d-date = 3 September |d-date = August |d-date = September |d-date = 19 August |d-date = 28 January 1972
September
|- |d-date = 11 September |d-date = 4 January 1980 |d-date = 29 March 1980 |d-date = 5 October |d-date = 3 February 1976 |d-date = 23 June |d-date = 2 October |d-date = 29 October 1972 Ionospheric |d-date = 10 October |d-date = 9 July 1974 |d-date = 19 September 1978 |d-date = 12 October
October
|- |d-date = 19 October |d-date = 30 October |d-date = 27 October |d-date = 19 March 1972 |d-date = 21 October |d-date = 17 November |d-date = October/November |d-date = November
November
|- |d-date = 16 November |d-date = 5 November |d-date = 10 January 1992 |d-date = 9 April 1972 |d-date = 2 December |d-date = 10 May 1976 |d-date = 20 April 1972 |d-date = 3 December (destroyed) |d-date = 5 March 1980
December
|- |d-date = 7 April 1972 gamma-ray astronomy |d-date = 21 February 1979 |d-date = 4 April 1975 |d-date = 3 December |d-span=2 |d-span = inherit |o-span = inherit |d-date = 4 December |d-date = 5 December |d-date = 11 December |d-date = 16 December |d-date = 12 December 1978 |d-date = 18 August |d-date = 18 April 1972 |d-date = 13 April 1977 |d-date = 9 February 1972 |d-date = 6 January 1972 |}
Launches from the Moon
|d-date = 7 February |d-time = 00:46 |d-date = 3 August |d-time = 03:04 |}
Suborbital launches
January-March
|- |d-date = 13 January |d-date = 21 January |d-date = 22 January |d-date = 26 January |d-date = 5 February |d-date = 5 February |d-date = 20 February |d-date = 25 February |d-date = 3 March Auroral/Ionospheric |d-date = 20 March Auroral/Ionospheric |d-date = 20 March
April-June
|- |d-date = 5 April |d-date =22 April |d-time = |d-span = |o-span = |d-date = 7 June |d-date = 20 June |d-date = 29 June
July-September
|- |d-date = 21 July |d-date = 28 August |d-date = 1 September |d-date = 4 September |d-date = 5 September |d-date = 10 September |d-date =21 September |d-time = |d-span = |o-span =
October-December
|- |d-date =15 November |d-time = |d-span = |o-span = |}
Deep space rendezvous in 1971
| Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 February | Apollo 14 | Entered selenocentric orbit | |
| 5 February | |||
| 09:18:11 | Apollo 14 LM | Landing on the Moon | Landed in Fra Mauro region, returned 43 kg of rocks |
| 29 July | Apollo 15 | Entered selenocentric orbit | |
| 30 July | |||
| 22:16:29 | Apollo 15 LM | Landing on the Moon; first crewed lunar rover | Landed in Hadley Rille region, returned 77 kg of rocks |
| 11 September | Luna 18 | Impacted the Moon | In Mare Fecunditatis, failed lander |
| 3 October | Luna 19 | Entered selenocentric orbit | |
| 14 November | Mariner 9 | Entered areocentric orbit | First orbiter of Mars and of another planet |
| 27 November | Mars 2 orbiter | Entered areocentric orbit | |
| Mars 2 lander | First Mars impact | Failed soft lander | |
| 27 November | Mars 3 orbiter | Entered areocentric orbit | |
| Mars 3 lander | First soft landing on Mars |
EVAs
| Start date/time | Duration | End time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 February | |||||
| 14:42 | 4 hours | ||||
| 48 minutes | 19:30 | Apollo 14 | |||
| Apollo LM-8 Antares | USAAlan Shepard | ||||
| USAEdgar Mitchell | Shepard and Mitchell deployed several experiments on the lunar surface near the landing site, such as the Solar Wind Composition Experiment and the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). The crew also took a contingency sample and planted a U.S. flag at the site. | ||||
| 6 February | |||||
| 8:11 | 4 hours | ||||
| 34 minutes | 12:45 | Apollo 14 | |||
| Apollo LM-8 Antares | USAAlan Shepard | ||||
| USAEdgar Mitchell | Planned as a traverse to Cone Crater, however the astronauts were unable to find the rim of the crater amid rolling terrain. The crew also took panoramic pictures and set up additional experiments. Shepard famously hit a golf ball on the lunar surface, using a six iron golf club head attached to the handle of an excavation tool. | ||||
| 31 July | |||||
| 00:16 | 33 minutes | 00:49 | Apollo 15 | ||
| Apollo LM-10 Falcon | USADavid Scott | Scott stood on the lander's ascent engine cover to survey the landing site through the vehicle's docking hatch and take panoramic photography. | |||
| 31 July | |||||
| 13:13 | 6 hours | ||||
| 32 minutes | 19:45 | Apollo 15 | |||
| Apollo LM-10 Falcon | USADavid Scott | ||||
| USAJames Irwin | Scott and Irwin visited Elbow Crater near the rim of Hadley Rille using the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), marking the first time humans traveled in a wheeled vehicle on another world. The crew also deployed an ALSEP on their return to the landing site. | ||||
| 1 August | |||||
| 11:48 | 7 hours | ||||
| 12 minutes | 19:01 | Apollo 15 | |||
| Apollo LM-10 Falcon | USADavid Scott | ||||
| USAJames Irwin | Scott and Irwin drove the LRV 12.5 miles along the base of the Apennine Mountains, visiting several craters, collecting samples and taking panoramic photography. The crew also took a deep core sample of lunar soil and planted a U.S. flag. | ||||
| 2 August | |||||
| 08:52 | 4 hours | ||||
| 49 minutes | 13:42 | Apollo 15 | |||
| Apollo LM-10 Falcon | USADavid Scott | ||||
| USAJames Irwin | Scott and Irwin traveled to Scarp Crater then northwest along the rille, collecting samples. The crew also retrieved the core sample drilled during the previous EVA. | ||||
| 5 August | |||||
| 15:31 | 39 minutes | 16:10 | Apollo 15 | ||
| Apollo CSM-112 Endeavour | USAAlfred Worden | ||||
| USAJames Irwin | First spacewalk in deep space, conducted during the return trip to Earth. Worden retrieved exposed film from the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay of the Service Module, while Irwin stood in the hatch. |
Orbital launch statistics
By country
| Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| failures | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | style="text-align:left;" | World | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 91 | 82 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 35 | 31 | 4 | 0 |
By rocket
By family
| Family | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Black Arrow | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Diamant | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Europa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Kosmos (R-12/14) | Soviet Union | 34 | 31 | 3 | 0 | |
| Long March | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Mu | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| N | Soviet Union | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| R-7 | Soviet Union | 44 | 40 | 4 | 0 | |
| R-36 | Soviet Union | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Saturn | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Titan | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Thor | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Scout | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Universal Rocket | Soviet Union | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
By type
| Rocket | Country | Family | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas E/F | Atlas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Atlas-Agena | Atlas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Atlas-Centaur | Atlas | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Black Arrow | Black Arrow | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Diamant B | Diamant | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Delta | Delta | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Europa | Europa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Kosmos-2 | Soviet Union | Kosmos | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | |
| Kosmos-3 | Soviet Union | Kosmos | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | |
| Long March 1 | Long March | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Molniya | Soviet Union | R-7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mu-3 | Japan | Mu | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| N1 | Soviet Union | N | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Proton | Soviet Union | Universal Rocket | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| R-36OM | Soviet Union | R-36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight |
| Saturn V | Saturn | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Scout B | Scout | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Soyuz | Soviet Union | R-7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Thor-Burner | Thor | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Thorad-Agena | Thor | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Titan IIIB | Titan | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Titan IIIC | Titan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Titan IIID | Titan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Tsyklon | Soviet Union | R-36 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Voskhod | Soviet Union | R-7 | 31 | 27 | 4 | 0 | |
| Vostok | Soviet Union | R-7 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
By configuration
| Rocket | Country | Type | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas E/F-OV1-PM | Atlas E/F | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Atlas SLV-3A Agena-D | Atlas-Agena | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D | Atlas-Centaur | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Black Arrow | Black Arrow | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Diamant B | Diamant B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Delta E1 | Delta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Delta M | Delta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Delta M6 | Delta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Only flight | |
| Delta N | Delta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta N6 | Delta | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Europa II | Europa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Only flight | |
| Kosmos-2I | Soviet Union | Kosmos-2 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | |
| Kosmos-3M | Soviet Union | Kosmos-3 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | |
| Long March 1 | Long March | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Molniya-M/ML | Soviet Union | Molniya | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mu-3S | Japan | Mu-3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| N1 | Soviet Union | N1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Proton-K | Soviet Union | Proton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Proton-K/D | Soviet Union | Proton | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | |
| R-36OM | Soviet Union | R-36O | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight |
| Saturn V | Saturn V | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Scout B | Scout B | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Scout B-1 | Scout B | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Soyuz | Soviet Union | Soyuz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz-L | Soviet Union | Soyuz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight |
| Soyuz-M | Soviet Union | Soyuz | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Thor LV-2F Burner II | Thor-Burner | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Thor LV-2F Burner IIA | Thor-Burner | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Thorad SLV-2G Agena-D | Thorad-Agena | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Thorad SLV-2H Agena-D | Thorad-Agena | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Titan III(23)B | Titan III | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Titan III(24)B | Titan III | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Titan III(33)B | Titan III | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Titan III(23)C | Titan III | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Titan III(23)D | Titan III | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Tsyklon-2 | Soviet Union | Tsyklon | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Voskhod | Soviet Union | Voskhod | 31 | 27 | 4 | 0 | |
| Vostok-2M | Soviet Union | Vostok | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
By launch site
| Site | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Kennedy | 10 | 5 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Baikonur | Soviet Union | 31 | 28 | 3 | 0 | |
| Jiuquan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kapustin Yar | Soviet Union | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Kennedy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kagoshima | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kourou | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Plesetsk | Soviet Union | 58 | 53 | 5 | 0 | |
| San Marco | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Operated by Italy | |
| Vandenberg | 19 | 17 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Wallops | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Woomera | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final orbital launch |
By orbit
| Orbital regime | Launches | Achieved | Not Achieved | Accidentally | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| achieved | Remarks | ||||
| Failed to orbit | 0 N/A | 0 N/A | 0 N/A | 12 | |
| Low Earth | 109 | 100 | 9 | 1 | Two to Salyut 1 |
| Medium Earth | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Geosynchronous/transfer | 7 | 5 | 2 | ||
| High Earth | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | Including highly elliptical and Molniya orbits and trans-lunar trajectories. |
| Heliocentric | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
References
References
- McDowell, Jonathan. "R-7". Orbital and Suborbital Launch Database.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Zenit-4M (Rotor, 11F691)". Gunter's Space Page.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "R-12". Orbital and Suborbital Launch Database.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Meteor-1". Gunter's Space Page.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Zenit-2M (Gektor, 11F690)". Gunter's Space Page.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "R-14". Orbital and Suborbital Launch Database.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "R-36". Orbital and Suborbital Launch Database.
- Wade, Mark. "Kosmos 11K63".
- Krebs, Gunter. "Tselina-D (11F619, Ikar)". Gunter's Space Page.
- Jonathan McDowell. (4 November 2023). "One of the first Tselina-D elint satellites, launched in 1971 and codenamed Kosmos-405, reentered over the Pacific at 0327 UTC Nov 3 after 52.6 years in orbit.".
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Proton". Orbital and Suborbital Launch Database.
- Anikeev, Alexander. "Spacecraft "Soyuz-10"". Crewed Astronautics: Figures and Facts.
- McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page.
- Wade, Mark. "Mars M-71".
- Anikeev, Alexander. "Spacecraft "Soyuz-11"". Crewed Astronautics: Figures and Facts.
- Krebs, Gunter. "Voskhod (11A57)". Gunter's Space Page.
- "The Hexagon Story". US National Reconnaissance Office.
- Perry, Robert. (November 1973). "A History of Satellite Reconnaissance". US National Reconnaissance Office.
- Wade, Mark. "Molniya-1".
- Wade, Mark. "Luna Ye-8-5".
- Wade, Mark. "Molniya-2".
- Wade, Mark. "K63D".
- Krebs, Gunter Dirk. "BOR-2".
- Krebs, Gunter D.. "BIC (GRP)".
- "Apollo 14 Timeline". NASA.
- "Apollo 14 Surface Operations Overview". Lunar and Planetary Institute.
- "Apollo 15 Timeline". NASA.
- "Apollo 15 Surface Operations Overview". Lunar and Planetary Institute.
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