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| Year | Soviet / Russian manned missions | American manned missions | Chinese missions | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission names | Launch dates, notes | Mission names | Launch dates, notes | Mission names | Launch date | ||||||||||||||
| # 1 | # 2 | # 3 | # 4 | # 5 | # 6 | # 1 | # 2 | # 3 | # 4 | # 5 | # 6 | # 7 | # 8 | # 9 | |||||
| 1961 | Vostok 1, * 2 | 12 Apr | 6 Aug | * Yuri Gargarin: 1st man in space (1 orbit) | Mercury 3, 4 | 5 May | 12 Jul | Alan Shepherd: 1st U.S. man in space (suborbital) | |||||||||||
| 1962 | Vostok 3, 4 | 11 Aug | 12 Aug | - | - | - | - | Mercury 6, 7, 8 | 20 Feb | 24 May | 3 Oct | John Glenn: 1st U.S. man in (3 orbits) | |||||||
| 1963 | Vostok 5, 6* | 14 Jun | 16 Jun | * Valentina Tereshkova: 1st woman in space | Mercury 9 | 15 May | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| 1964 | Voshkod 1 | 12 Oct | * 1st crew of 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 1965 | Voshkod 2 | 18 Mar | * 1st crew of 2 | - | - | Gemini 3 - 7 | 23 Mar | 3 Jun | 21 Aug | 4 Dec | 15 Dec | * 1st U.S. crews of 2 | |||||||
| 1966 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Gemini 8 - 12 | 16 Mar | 3 Jun | 18 Jul | 12 Sep | 11 Nov | ||||||
| 1967 | Soyuz 1 * | 23 Apr | * 1 died in reentry | - | Apollo 1 ** | ** burned on launch pad 27 Jan; 3 died. | |||||||||||||
| 1968 | Soyuz 3 | 26 Oct | - | - | - | - | - | Apollo 7, 8 * | 11 Oct | 21 Dec | * U.S. orbited moon. | ||||||||
| 1969 | Soyuz 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | 14 Jan | 15 Jan | 11 Oct | 12 Oct | 13 Oct | - | Apollo 9, 10, 11, 12 | 3 Mar | 18 May | 16 Jul | 14 Nov | Moon landings! Neil Armstrong: 1st man on moon. | ||||||
| 1970 | Soyuz 9 | 1 Jun | - | - | - | - | - | Apollo 13** | 11 Apr | ** Explosion in Service Module; safe return using Lunar Module | |||||||||
| 1971 | Soyuz 10, 11* | 22 Apr | 6 Jun | *Salyut-1 space station; 3 died | Apollo 14, 15 | 31 Jan | 26 Jul | Moon landings | |||||||||||
| 1972 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Apollo 16, 17 | 16 Apr | 7 Dec | Moon landings | ||||||||
| 1973 | Soyuz 12, 13 | 27 Sep | 18 Dec | crews of just 2 | - | Skylab 2, 3, 4 | 25 May | 28 Jul | 16 Nov | 1st U.S. space station. | |||||||||
| 1974 | Soyuz 14, 15, 16 | 3 Jul | 26 Aug | 2 Dec | Salyut-3 military space station | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| 1975 | Soyuz 17, 18, 19 * | 10 Jan | 24 May | 15 Jul | - | - | - | Apollo 18 * | 15 Jul | * joint USA-USSR mission | |||||||||
| 1976 | Soyuz 21, 22, 23 | 6 Jul | 15 Sep | 14 Oct | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1977 | Soyuz 24, 25, 26 | 7 Feb | 9 Oct | 10 Dec | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1978 | Soyuz 27-31 | 10 Jan | 2 Mar | 15 Jun | 27 Jun | 26 Aug | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1979 | Soyuz 32, 33 | 25 Feb | 10 Apr | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1980 | Soyuz 35-38,T2,T3 | 9 Apr | 26 May | 5 Jun | 23 Jul | 18 Sep | 27 Nov | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1981 | Soyuz T4, 39, 40 | 12 Mar | 22 Mar | 14 May | "T": crews of 3 | STS 1, 2 | 12 Apr * | 12 Nov | * Space Shuttle Columbia 1st launch | ||||||||||
| 1982 | Soyuz T5, T6, T7 | 13 May | 24 Jun | 19 Aug | Salyut-7 space station | STS 3, 4, 5 | 22 Mar | 27 Jun | 11 Nov | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| 1983 | Soyuz T8, T9 | 20 Apr | 28 Jun | - | - | - | - | STS 6, 7, 8, 9 | 4 Apr * | 18 Jun # | 30 Aug | 28 Nov | * Challenger 1st launch; # 1st U.S. woman in space: Sally Ride |
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| 1984 | Soyuz T10-T12 | 8 Feb | 3 Apr | 17 Jul | - | - | - | STS 41B,C,D,G, 51A | 3 Feb | 6 Apr | 30 Aug * | 5 Oct | 8 Nov | * Discovery 1st launch | |||||
| 1985 | Soyuz T13*, T14 | 5 Jun * | 17 Sep | * Salyut-7 fixed | STS 51C,D,B,G,F,I,J,61A,B | 24 Jan | 12 Apr | 29 Apr | 17 Jun | 29 Jul | 27 Aug | 3 Oct* | 30 Oct | 26 Nov | * Atlantis 1st launch | ||||
| 1986 | Soyuz T15 | 13 Mar | - | - | Mir space station. | STS 61C, 51L | 12 Jan | 28 Jan * | * Challenger blew up during launch, 7 died. | ||||||||||
| 1987 | Soyuz TM2-4 | 5 Feb | 22 Jul | 21 Dec | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1988 | Soyuz TM5-7 | 7 Jun | 29 Aug | 26 Nov | - | - | - | STS 26, 27 | 29 Sep | 2 Dec | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1989 | Soyuz TM8 | 5 Sep | - | - | - | - | - | STS 29,30,28,34,33 | 13 Mar | 4 May | 8 Aug | 18 Oct | 22 Nov | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1990 | Soyuz TM9,10,11 | 11 Feb | 1 Aug | 2 Dec | - | - | - | STS 32,36,31*,41,38,35 | 9 Jan | 28 Feb | 24 Apr* | 6 Oct | 15 Nov | 2 Dec | * Hubble telescope deployed; flawed lens. | ||||
| 1991 | Soyuz TM-12,13 | 18 May | 2 Oct | USSR is dissolved Dec. 31. (German astronaut) | STS 37,39,40,43,48,44 | 5 Apr | 28 Apr | 5 Jun | 2 Aug | 12 Sep | 24 Nov | - | - | - | |||||
| 1992 | Soyuz TM-14,15 | 17 Mar | 27 Jul | Russian Federation repl. USSR. (French astronauts) | STS 42,45,49,50,46,47,52,53 | 22 Jan | 24 Mar | 7 May* | 25 Jun | 31 Jul | 12 Sep | 22 Oct | 2 Dec | * Endeavor 1st launch | |||||
| 1993 | Soyuz TM-16,17 | 24 Jan | 1 Jul | - | - | " " | - | STS 54,56,55,57,51,58,61 | 13 Jan | 8 Apr | 26 Apr | 21 Jun | 12 Sep | 18 Oct | 2 Dec* | * Hubble repair | |||
| 1994 | Soyuz TM-18,19,20 | 8 Jan | 1 Jul | 3 Oct | (German astronaut) | STS 60,62,59,65,64,68,66 | 3 Feb | 4 Mar | 9 Apr | 8 Jul | 9 Sep | 30 Sep | 3 Nov | - | - | ||||
| 1995 | Soyuz TM-21,22 | 14 Mar | 3 Sep | (American astronaut) | STS 63,67,71,70,69,73,74 | 3 Feb | 2 Mar | 27 Jun* | 13 Jul | 7 Sep | 20 Oct | 12 Nov | * Docks at Mir space station. | ||||||
| 1996 | Soyuz TM-23,24 | 21 Feb | 17 Aug | (routine foreign astronauts) | STS 72,75,76,77,78,79,80 | 11 Jan | 22 Feb | 22 Mar | 19 May | 20 Jun | 16 Sep | 19 Nov | - | - | |||||
| 1997 | Soyuz TM-25,26 | 10 Feb | 5 Aug | Fire on Mir space station. | STS 81,82,83,84,94,85,86,87 | 12 Jan | 11 Feb | 4 Apr | 15 May | 1 Jul | 7 Aug | 25 Sep | 19 Nov | - | |||||
| 1998 | Soyuz TM-27,28 | 29 Jan | 13 Aug | - | - | - | - | STS 89,90,91,95,88 | 22 Jan | 17 Apr | 2 Jun | 29 Oct | 4 Dec | International Space Station assembly | |||||
| 1999 | Soyuz TM-29 | 20 Feb | - | - | - | - | - | STS 96, 93, 103 | 27 May | 23 Jul | 19 Dec | ISS assembly | |||||||
| 2000 | Soyuz TM30,31 | 4 Apr | 31 Oct | Last visit to Mir. First visit to Intl. Space Station (ISS). | STS 99,101,106,92,97 | 11 Feb | 19 May | 8 Sep | 11 Oct | 30 Nov | ISS assembly | ||||||||
| 2001 | Soyuz TM-32,33 | 28 Apr | 21 Oct | - | - | - | - | STS 98,102,100,104,105,108 | 7 Feb | 8 Mar | 19 Apr | 12 Jul | 10 Aug | 5 Dec | ISS | ||||
| 2002 | Soyuz TM-34,TMA-1 | 25 Apr | 30 Oct | - | - | - | - | STS 109,110,111,112,113 | 16 Jan | ISS | |||||||||
| 2003 | Soyuz TMA-2,3 | 26 Apr | 18 Oct | - | - | - | - | STS 107** | 16 Jan | ** Columbia burned in reentry; 7 died. | Shenzhou 5 | 5 Oct | |||||||
| 2004 | Soyuz TMA-4,5 | 19 Apr | 14 Oct | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | First Chinese man in space. | |
| 2005 | Soyuz TMA-6,7 | 15 Apr | 1 Oct | - | - | - | - | STS 114 * | 26 Jul | * Discovery 1st launch | Shenzhou 6 | 5 Oct | |||||||
| 2006 | Soyuz TMA-8,9 | 30 Mar | 18 Sep | - | - | - | - | STS 121,115,116 | 4 Jul | 9 Sep | 9 Dec | ISS | - | - | - | - | 2-man crew. | ||
| 2007 | Soyuz TMA-10,11 | 7 Apr | 10 Oct | - | - | - | - | STS 117,118,120 | 8 Jun | 8 Aug | 23 Oct | ISS | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2008 | Soyuz TMA-12,13 | 8 Apr | 12 Oct | - | - | - | - | STS 122,123,124,126 | 7 Feb | 11 Mar | 31 May | 14 Nov | ISS | - | - | - | Shenzhou 7 | 25 Sep | |
| 2009 | Soyuz TMA-14,15,16,17 | 26 Mar | 27 May | 30 Sep | 20 Dec | - | - | STS 119,125,127,128,129 | 15 Mar | 11 May | 15 Jul | 28 Aug | 16 Nov | ISS, Hubble | First Chinese woman in space; crew of 3. | ||||
| 2010 | Soyuz TMA-18,19,01M,20 | 2 Apr | 15 Jun | 7 Oct | 15 Dec | - | - | STS 130,131,132 | 8 Feb | 5 Apr | 14 May | ISS | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2011 | Soyuz TMA-21,02M,22,03M | 4 Apr | 7 Jun | 14 Nov | 21 Dec | - | - | STS 133,134,135 | 24 Feb | 16 May | 8 Jul | U.S. Space Shuttles are retired: Discovery, Endeavor, Atlantis; ISS |
- | - | |||||
| 2012 | Soyuz TMA-04M,05M,06M,07M | 15 May | 15 July | 23 Oct | 19 Dec | - | - | - | - | - | - | Shenzhou 9 | 16 Jun | ||||||
| 2013 | Soyuz TMA-08M,09M,10M,11M | 28 Mar | 28 May | 25 Sep | 07 Nov | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Shenzhou 10 | 11 Jun |
| 2014 | Soyuz TMA-12M,13M,14M,15M | 25 Mar | 28 May | 25 Sep | 23 Nov | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | First visits to China's Tiangong-1 space station. | |
| 2015 | Soyuz TMA-16M,17M,18M,19M | 27 Mar | 22 Jul | 02 Sep | 15 Dec | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2016 | Soyuz TMA-20M; MS-01,02,03 | 18 Mar | 7 Jul | 19 Oct | 17 Nov | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Shenzhou 11 | 16 Oct |
| 2017 | Soyuz MS-04,05,06,07 | 20 Apr | 28 Jul | 12 Sep | 17 Dec | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | First visit to Tiangong-2 space station. | |
| 2018 | Soyuz MS-08,09,10,11 | 21 Mar | 6 Jun | 11 Oct # | 3 Dec | # Mission aborted safely soon after launch. | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2019 | Soyuz MS-12,13,15 | 14 Mar | 20 Jul | 25 Sep | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2020 | Soyuz MS-16,17 | New Soyuz-2.1a launcher replaced Soyuz-FG. (ISS) | SpaceX Demo-2, Crew-1 | (First use of Dragon capsule & Falcon-9 booster.) crews: 2 + 4 (ISS) |
- | - | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Soyuz MS-18, 19, 20 | 3 x 3 crew; 2 Jap. tourists (ISS) | SpaceX Crew-2, 3; Inspiration | 3 x 4 crew (ISS) & 5 suborbital flights (2 VG, 3 BO: 21 total crew + tourists) |
- | Shenzhou 12, 13 | (to Tiangong-3 space station) | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | Soyuz MS-21, 22 | 2 x 3 crew (ISS) | SpaceX Axiom 1; Crew-4, 5 | 3 x 4 crew (ISS) & 3 suborbital flights (all BO: 18 total crew + tourists) |
- | Shenzhou 14, 15 | " " | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Soyuz MS-23, 24 | 2 x 3 crew (ISS) | SpaceX Crew-6, 7; Axiom 2 | 3 x 4 crew (ISS) & 6 suborbital flights (all VG: 36 total crew + tourists) |
- | Shenzhou 16, 17 | " " | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | - | - | SpaceX Axiom 3 | 1 x 4 crew (ISS) & 1 suborbital flight (VG: 6 total crew + tourists) |
- | - | - | ||||||||||||
NOTE: Mission launch dates are not shown after 2019. U.S. underlined missions (beginning in 2021) were privately funded and operated; "VG" = Virgin Galactic, "BO" = Blue Origins.
| Launch date | Country | Name of mission |
Accomplishments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 1942 | Germany | A4 / V2 | first large guided rocket (50 miles high) |
| Oct. 1957 | U.S.S.R. | Sputnik 1 | first satellite in orbit |
| Jan. 1958 | U.S.A. | Explorer 1 | first U.S. satellite in orbit |
| Jan. 1959 | U.S.S.R. | Luna 1 | first probe to fly by the moon |
| Sept. 1959 | U.S.S.R. | Luna 2 | first probe to impact the moon |
| Sept. 1960 | U.S.A. | Pioneer 4 | first U.S. probe to impact the moon |
| Aug. 1962 | U.S.A. | Mariner 2 | first probe to fly by Venus |
| Nov. 1964 | U.S.A. | Mariner 4 | first probe to fly by Mars (July 1965) |
| Nov. 1965 | U.S.S.R. | Venera 3 | first probe to impact Venus (Mar. 1966) |
| Jan. 1966 | U.S.S.R. | Luna 9 | first probe to land softly on the moon |
| June 1966 | U.S.A. | Surveyor 1 | first U.S. probe to land softly on the moon |
| Aug. 1970 | U.S.S.R. | Venera 7 | first probe to land softly on Venus (Dec. 1970) |
| May 1971 | U.S.S.R. | Mars 3 | first probe to land softly on Mars (Dec. 1971) |
| Mar. 1972 | U.S.A. | Pioneer 10 | first probe to fly by Jupiter (Dec. 1973) & first to exit solar system (1983) |
| Apr. 1973 | U.S.A. | Pioneer 11 | first probe to fly by Saturn (Sept. 1979); also Jupiter |
| Nov. 1973 | U.S.A. | Mariner 10 | first probe to fly by Mercury (Mar. 1974); also Venus |
| Oct. 1975 | U.S.A. | Viking 1 | first U.S. probe to land softly on Mars (July 1976) |
| Aug. 1977 | U.S.A. | Voyager 2 | first probe to fly by Uranus (Jan. 1986) & Neptune (Aug. 1989); also Jupiter & Saturn |
| Dec. 1996 | U.S.A. | Mars Pathfinder | first rover ("Sojourner") to operate on another planet (July-Sept. 1997) |
| Jan. 2006 | U.S.A. | New Horizons | first probe to fly by Pluto (July 2015) |
| July 2020 | U.S.A. | Mars 2020 | ("Perseverance"); first helicopter ("Ingenuity") to fly on another planet (April 2021) |
SOURCES: Valerie Neal, Cathleen S. Lewis, and Frank H. Winter, Spaceflight: A Smithsonian Guide (New York: Macmillan USA, 1995); World Almanac and Book of Facts: 2012; www.nasa.gov, www.russianspaceweb.com, www.cracked.com, wikipedia.org: Russian missions (1994 to date), Chinese missions
In addition, chimpanzees were used to test the American space capsules during Project Mercury, hence the missing sequence numbers. On January 31, 1961 "Ham" had a suborbital flight; and on November 29, 1961 "Enos" went for 2 orbits. Both survived their flights, and "Ham" lived until 1983. See spacechimps.com. The Russians used a dog ("Laika") for that purpose, but it had to be put to sleep in space; see space.com.
