1971 in spaceflight

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The Timeline of Spaceflight WikiProject has identified this article as requiring cleanup and/or expansion to ensure consistency with other timeline aricles. Concerns have been raised that: inconsistent date formats are present in the article (d mmmm format should be used throughout) a large amount of launch information is missing no specific references are given an inconsistent dialect is used (British English should be used throughout) the article uses an out-of-date header and/or footer, which requires replacement See Wikipedia:WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight for guidelines on how to improve the article.

Contents 1 Launches 2 Deep space rendezvous in 1971 3 References 3.1 Footnotes

Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1971.

Launch Date/Time	Rocket	Launch Site	Launch Contractor	Payload	Operator	Orbit	Mission/ Function	Re-Entry/ Destruction	Outcome	Remarks
13 January, 20:10 GMT	Black Brant II	Fort Churchill	NRCC		NRCC	Sub-orbital	Aeronomy	13 January 1971	Successful
21 January, 02:32 GMT	Black Brant VB	Fort Churchill	NRCC		NRCC	Sub-orbital	Auroral, ionospheric and plasma research	21 January 1971	Successful
21 January, 18:28 GMT	Titan 23B	SLC-4W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OPS 7776	US Air Force/NRO	LEO	Surveillance satellite	9 February 1971	Successful
22 January, 04:44 GMT	Black Brant VB	Fort Churchill	NRCC		NRCC	Sub-orbital	Auroral, ionospheric and plasma research	22 January 1971	Successful
26 January, 00:36 GMT	Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C	LC-36A, Cape Canaveral		Intelsat 4 F-2	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful
26 January, 17:23 GMT	Black Brant VB	Fort Churchill	NRCC		NRCC	Sub-orbital	Ionospheric and Solar research	26 January	Successful
31 January, 21:03 GMT	Saturn V	LC-39A, Kennedy	NASA	Apollo 14 CSM "Kitty Hawk" 3 astronauts	NASA	Selenocentric	Manned Lunar orbiter	9 February 1971, 21:05 GMT	Successful
				Apollo 14 Lunar Module "Antares"	NASA	Lunar	Manned Lunar landing	5 February 1971, 09:17 GMT (on Moon)	Successful
5 February, 22:46 GMT	Black Brant IVB	Fort Churchill	NRCC		NRCC	Sub-orbital	Auroral, Ionospheric, and meteorite research	5 February 1971	Successful
6 February, 18:48 GMT	Apollo 14 Lunar Module "Antares" ascent stage	Apollo 14 Lunar Module "Antares" descent stage Fra Mauro The Moon	NASA	Apollo 14, 2 astronauts	NASA	Selenocentric	Return Apollo 14 astronauts to CSM in orbit.	7 February 1971 00:46 GMT (on Moon)	Successful
17 February, 03:52 GMT	Thor Burner II	SLC-10W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	DMSP 5A F3	US Air Force	LEO	Weather satellite	Still in orbit	Successful
				Calsphere 3A	US Air Force	LEO	Radar calibration	17 October 1989	Successful
				Calsphere 4	US Air Force	LEO	Radar calibration	20 September 1989	Successful
				Calsphere 5	US Air Force	LEO	Radar calibration	17 January 1990	Successful
17 February, 20:04 GMT	Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H	SLC-3W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	KH-4B 1113	US Air Force	Intended: LEO	Surveillance satellite	T+18 seconds	Failure	Overloading of orinite led to cracked valve, and loss of engine lubrication at launch.
				SRV 825	US Air Force	Intended: LEO	Surveillance satellite
				SRV 826	US Air Force	Intended: LEO	Surveillance satellite
20 February, 03:33 GMT	Black Brant IVA	Fort Churchill	NRCC	(none)	N/A	N/A	Research into Auroras, Ionosphere, and plasma	N/A	Successful
February 25 01:13 GMT	Black Brant VB	Wallops Island	NASA	(none)	N/A	N/A	Aeronomy research	N/A	Successful
February 28 20:10 GMT	Black Brant III	Fort Churchill	NRCC	(none)	N/A	N/A	Aeronomy	N/A	Successful
March 3 06:52 GMT	Black Brant IVA	Fort Churchill	NRCC	(none)	N/A	N/A	Research Auroras	N/A	Successful
March 3 12:15 GMT	CZ-1 (Long March 1)	LA-2A, Jiuquan		SJ-1		LEO	comsat	June 17, 1979	Successful
March 20 03:24 GMT	Black Brant II	Fort Churchill	NRCC	(none)	N/A	N/A	Test rocket Research Ionosphere, and Auroras	N/A	Successful
March 21 03:45 GMT	Titan 33B	SLC-4W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	Jumpseat 1	US Air Force/NRO	High eccentricity LEO/MEO		Still in orbit	Successful
March 24 20:10 GMT	Black Brant VC	Fort Churchill	AFCRL	(none)	N/A	N/A	Aeronomy	N/A	Successful
March 24 21:05 GMT	Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H	SLC-3W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	KH-4B 1114	US Air Force	LEO	Surveillance satellite	April 12, 1971	Failure	Computer on satellite malfunctioned
April 1 02:57 GMT	Thor Delta E1	SLC-2E, Vandenberg AFB		ISIS 2	CRC	LEO	Ionospheric research.	Still in orbit	Successful	Final flight of Thor Delta E1 launch vehicle
April 5	Atlas F	ABRES-A1, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	ABRES LAR-1	US Air Force	Sub-orbital	Test Re-entry vehicle	April 5, 1971	Successful
April 19 01:40 GMT	Proton 8K82K	LC-81, Baikonur	RVSN	Salyut 1	RVSN	LEO	Space station	October 11, 1971	Partial Failure	First space station Experiment bay door failed to separate First crew failed to dock, and second crew killed on re-entry
April 22 15:30 GMT	Titan 23B	SLC-4W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OPS 7899	US Air Force/NRO	LEO	Surveillance satellite	May 13, 1971	Successful
April 22 23:54 GMT	R-7 11A511 (Soyuz/A-2)	LC-1/5, Baikonur	RVSN	Soyuz 10, 3 cosmonauts	RVSN	LEO, Intended to be docked to Salyut 1	Manned mission to Salyut 1 space station	April 24, 1971	Failure	Docking system malfunction - mission aborted and spacecraft deorbited
May 5 07:43 GMT	Titan IIIC	LC-40, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	IMEWS 2	US Air Force	Geosynchronous	Early warning defense satellite	Still in orbit	Successful
May 9 01:11 GMT	Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C	LC-36A, Cape Canaveral		Mariner H	NASA	Intended: Heliocentric	Martian flyby probe Mapping	May 9, 1971	Failure	Premature second stage cutoff due to human error.
May 10 16:58 GMT	Proton 8K82K	LC-81, Baikonur	RVSN	Cosmos 419 (Mars M-71)	RVSN	Intended: Martian Actual: LEO	Martian photography	May 12, 1971	Failure	Fourth stage ignition delay accidentally entered as 1.5 years, rather than 1.5 hours
May 19 16:22 GMT	Proton 8K82K	LC-81, Baikonur	RVSN	Mars 2	RVSN	Martian	Martian orbiter	Still in orbit	Successful
				Mars 2 lander	RVSN	N/A	Martian lander	November 27, 1971	Failure	Descent system malfunctioned, did not survive landing
May 28 15:26 GMT	Proton 8K82K	LC-81, Baikonur	RVSN	Mars 3	RVSN	Martian	Martian orbiter	Still in orbit	Successful
				Mars 3 lander	RVSN	N/A	Martian lander	December 2, 1971	Failure	Failed 20 seconds after landing, unknown cause.
May 30 22:23 GMT	Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C	LC-36B, Cape Canaveral		Mariner 9	NASA	Martian orbit	Martian orbiter Study martian atmosphere Surface mapping	Still in orbit	Successful	First planetry orbiter. First artificial satellite of Mars.
June 6 04:55 GMT	R-7 11A511 (Soyuz/A-2)	LC-1/5, Baikonur	RVSN	Soyuz 11, 3 cosmonauts	RVSN	LEO, docked to Salyut 1	Manned mission to Salyut 1 space station	June 29, 1971	Failure	First manned space station Pressure leak on re-entry resulted in loss of crew
June 7 05:26 GMT	Black Brant IVA	Fort Churchill	AFCRL	(none)	N/A	N/A	Research Ionosphere	N/A	Successful
June 8 14:00 GMT	Thor Burner II	SLC-10W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	SESP 70-1	US Air Force	LEO	Weather satellite	January 31, 1982	Successful
June 15 18:41 GMT	Titan IIID	SLC-4E, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	KH-9 01 ("Big Bird")	CIA/NRO	LEO	Surveillance satellite	August 6, 1971	Successful	Maiden flight of Titan IIID
June 20	Titan II	LC-395C, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	SSTTP target mission	N/A	Successful
June 26 23:15 GMT	N-1	LC-110L, Baikonur	RVSN	Boilerplate Soyuz spacecraft	RVSN	Intended: LEO	Test LV	T+51 seconds	Failure	Loss of control. Destroyed by range safety
June 29 10:12 GMT	Atlas F/Trident	ABRES-A3, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	ABRES RVTO-2	US Air Force	Sub-orbital	Test Re-entry vehicle	June 29, 1971	Successful
July 16 10:50 GMT	Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H	SLC-1W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OPS 8373	US Air Force	LEO	Surveillance satellite	August 31, 1978	Successful
July 21 16:00 GMT	Black Brant VC	Wallops Island	NASA	(none)	N/A	N/A	Test rocket	N/A	Failure
July 26 13:34 GMT	Saturn V	LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center	NASA	Apollo 15 CSM "Endeavour" 3 astronauts	NASA	Lunar	Manned Lunar orbiter	August 7, 1971	Successful
				Apollo 15 Lunar Module "Falcon"	NASA	Lunar	Manned Lunar landing	July 30, 1971 22:16 GMT (at Moon)	Successful	First flight to carry lunar rover
				Apollo 15 Subsatellite	NASA	Lunar	Study lunar particles	Unknown	Successful	First satellite to be deployed by manned spacecraft. Deployed at 20:13 GMT on August 4
August 2 17:11 GMT	Apollo 15 Lunar Module "Falcon" ascent stage	Apollo 15 Lunar Module "Falcon" descent stage, Hadley-Apennine The Moon	NASA	Apollo 15, 2 astronauts	NASA	Lunar	Return Apollo 15 astronauts to CSM in orbit.	August 3, 1971 03:04 GMT (at Moon)	Successful
August 7 00:11 GMT	Atlas F	BMRS-A2, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OV1-20P	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	August 28, 1971	Successful
				OV1-21P	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful
				Cannonball 2	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	January 31, 1972	Successful
				Musketball 1	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	September 19, 1971	Successful
				Gridsphere 1	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful
				LCS 4	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	June 11, 1972	Successful
				Gridsphere 2	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	March 18, 1979	Successful
				Rigidsphere	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	November 2, 1979	Successful
				Mylar Balloon	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	September 1, 1981	Successful
August 12 15:30 GMT	Titan 23B	SLC-4W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OPS 8607	US Air Force/NRO	LEO	Surveillance satellite	September 3, 1971	Successful
August 27	Titan II	LC-395C, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	(none)	N/A	N/A	SSTTP target mission	N/A	Successful
September 1	Atlas F	BMRS-A1, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	ABRES LAR-2	US Air Force	Sub-orbital	Test Re-entry vehicle	June 29, 1971	Successful
September 2 13:40 GMT	Proton 8K82K	LC-81, Baikonur	RVSN	Luna 18	RVSN	Lunar	Lunar sample return	September 11, 1971 (at Moon)	Failure	Crashed during landing attempt
September 4 13:52 GMT	Black Brant IIIB	Resolute Bay	NASA	(none)	N/A	N/A	Research plasma	N/A	Successful
September 5 13:44 GMT	Black Brant III	Resolute Bay	NASA	(none)	N/A	N/A	Research plasma	N/A	Successful
September 10	DF-5	LA-2B, Jiuquan		(none)	N/A	N/A	Research and development	N/A	Successful	Maiden flight of DF-5
September 10 21:33 GMT	Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H	SLC-3W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	KH-4B 1115	US Air Force	LEO	Surveillance satellite	October 5, 1971	Successful
				SRV 831	US Air Force	LEO	Surveillance satellite	February 3, 1976	Successful
				OPS 7681	US Air Force	LEO	Surveillance satellite	February 3, 1976	Successful
September 28 10:00 GMT	Proton 8K82K	LC-81, Baikonur	RVSN	Luna 19	RVSN	Lunar	Lunar orbiter and mapping	Still in orbit	Successful
September 29 09:45 GMT	Thor Delta N	LC-17A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station		OSO 7	NASA	LEO	Solar observatory	July 9, 1974	Successful
				TETR 3	NASA	LEO	Technology research	September 19, 1978	Successful
October 14 07:51 GMT	Thor Burner II	SLC-10W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	DMSP 5B F1	US Air Force	LEO	Weather satellite	Still in orbit	Successful
October 17 13:36 GMT	Thorad Agena D SLV-2G	SLC-1W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	ASTEX	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful
October 21 11:32 GMT	Thor Delta N	SLC-2E, Vandenberg Air Force Base		ITOS B	NASA	LEO	Weather satellite	July 21, 1972	Failure	Space junk rendered orbit useless
October 23 17:16 GMT	Titan 24B	SLC-4W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OPS 7616	US Air Force/NRO	LEO	Surveillance satellite	November 17, 1971	Successful
				SRV-2	US Air Force/NRO	LEO	Surveillance satellite	November 17, 1971	Successful
October 28 04:09 GMT	Black Arrow	LA-5B, Woomera	RAE	Prospero (X-3)	RAE	LEO	Micrometeorite detection	Still in orbit	Successful	First and so far only British launched satellite
November 3 03:09 GMT	Titan IIIC	LC-40, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	DSCS-II 01	US Air Force	Geosynchronous	Military comsat	Still in orbit	Successful
				DSCS-II 02	US Air Force	Geosynchronous	Military comsat	Still in orbit	Successful
November 5 13:00 GMT	Europa	CECLES, Kourou	ELDO	STV-4	ELDO/ESA	Intended: LEO	Test LV	November 5, 1971	Failure	Third stage structural failure, final flight of Europa
December 4 22:30 GMT	Atlas-Agena-D SLV-3A	LC-13, Cape Canaveral	US Air Force	Canyon 4 (AFP-827)	US Air Force	Intended: Geosynchronous	Military Comsat	December 4, 1971	Failure	First stage malfunction
October 17 13:36 GMT	Thorad Agena D SLV-2G	SLC-1W, Vandenberg AFB	US Air Force	OPS 7898 P/L1	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful	Final flight of Thorad Agena D SLV-2G
				OPS 7898 P/L2	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful
				OPS 7898 P/L3	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful
				OPS 7898 P/L4	US Air Force	LEO	Technology research	Still in orbit	Successful
December 20 01:10 GMT	Atlas-Centaur SLV-3C	LC-36A, Cape Canaveral		Intelsat 4 F-3	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Comsat	Still in orbit	Successful

← Jan • Feb • Mar • Apr • May • Jun • Jul • Aug • Sep • Oct • Nov • Dec →

[edit] Deep space rendezvous in 1971

• February 9 — Apollo 14, 43 kg from Fra Mauro (sample return mission)
• August 7 — Apollo 15, 77 kg from Hadley rille (sample return mission)
• September 11 — Luna 18 impacted at Mare Fecunditatis (sample return mission)
• October 3 — Luna 19 entered selenocentric orbit
• November 14 — Mariner 9 entered Martian orbit, 7,329 pictures
• November 27 — Mars 2 entered Martian orbit and its lander crashed
• December 2 — Mars 3 entered Martian orbit and its lander was lost after 14.5 sec. on the surface

[edit] References

• Encyclopedia Astronautica
• Gunter's Space Page - Chronology of Space Launches
• JAXA
• Jonathan's Space Report (SatCat.txt and Launchlog.txt)
• Mission Set Database (NASA GFC)
• NASA
• NASA SpaceFlight.com
• Orbital Report News Agency's Launch Logs
• Space Calendar (NASA JPL)
• Southwest Space Archive
• SPACE.com Launch Forecast
• SpaceFlightNow
• Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive
• U.S. Space Objects Registry
• Хроника освоения космоса (Russian)

[edit] Footnotes

v • d • e Timeline of spaceflight
1950s Earlier 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Preceded by: 1970 Timeline of spaceflight 1971 Succeeded by: 1972