Compiled by
Gregory P. Kennedy
Manned Space Flight Chronology 1967 to 1974
January 27, 1967 -- Fire in the Apollo 204 spacecraft killed astronauts Virgil I. Gus Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee during a launch rehearsal. (USA)
February 5, 1967 -- Launch of Lunar Orbiter-3; photo reconnaissance of Moon. (USA)
February 7, 1967 -- Kosmos-140; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
March 5, 1967 -- Launch of PRIME 2 (known also as SV-5D); unmanned suborbital test of subscale model of X-24A lifting body. (USA)
March 7, 1967 French launch of Vesta sounding rocket carrying pig-tailed monkey Martine. Rocket reached 152 miles. (FRA)
March 10, 1967 -- Kosmos 146; Zond lunar spacecraft reentry test. (USSR)
March 13, 1967 French launch of Vesta sounding rocket carrying pig-tailed monkey Pierrette. Rocket reached 146 miles. (FRA)
April 8, 1967 -- Kosmos 154; Zond lunar spacecraft reentry test; failed in orbit. (USSR)
April 17, 1967 -- Launch of Surveyor-3; soft landing on Moon; carried soil scoop. (USA)
April 19, 1967 -- Launch of PRIME 3 (known also as SV-5D); unmanned suborbital test of subscale model of X-24A lifting body; successfully recovered. (USA)
April 23 - 24, 1967 -- Soyuz-1; pilot Vladimir Komarov killed when recovery parachutes did not deploy. (USSR)
May 4, 1967 -- Launch of Lunar Orbiter-4; photo reconnaissance of Moon. (USA)
July 14, 1967 -- Launch of Surveyor-4; crashed on Moon. (USA)
August 1, 1967 Launch of Lunar Orbiter-5; photo reconnaissance of Moon. (USA)
September 8, 1967 -- Launch of Surveyor-5; soft landing on Moon. (USA)
September 28, 1967 -- Zond (L-1) lunar spacecraft launch; Proton booster malfunctioned and crashed 40 miles from launch pad. (USSR)
October 3, 1967 -- X-15 flight # 188; reached speed of Mach 6.7; fastest speed attained by a piloted aircraft; piloted by William "Pete" Knight. (USA)
October 17, 1967 X-15 flight # 190; reached 280,500 feet; piloted by William "Pete" Knight. (USA)
October 27, 1967 Kosmos-186; unmanned spacecraft docked with Kosmos-187; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
October 30, 1967 Kosmos-187; target for Kosmos-186 docking; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
November 7, 1967 Launch of Surveyor-6; soft landing on Moon. (USA)
November 9, 1967 Apollo-4, first unmanned flight of Saturn V booster. (USA)
November 15, 1967 X-15 flight #191; reached altitude of 266,000 feet; piloted by Michael Adams; fatal accident; aircraft number 3 destroyed. (USA)
November 23, 1967 Zond (L-1) lunar spacecraft launch; Proton booster malfunctioned and crashed. (USSR)
January 7, 1968 -- Launch of Surveyor-7; soft landing on Moon. (USA)
January 22, 1968 -- Apollo-5, unmanned orbital test of Lunar Module, used Saturn IB. (USA)
March 2, 1968 -- Launch of Zond-4; simulated lunar trajectory; spacecraft ordered destroyed when it was headed for landing in China. (USSR)
April 4, 1968 -- Apollo-6; second unmanned launch of Saturn V. (USA)
April 7, 1968 -- Launch of Luna-14; lunar orbiting spacecraft. (USSR)
April 14, 1968 -- Kosmos 212; unmanned spacecraft docked with Kosmos 213; Soyuz test. (USSR)
April 15, 1968 -- Kosmos 213; unmanned target for Kosmos 212; Soyuz test. (USSR)
April 23, 1968 Zond (L-1) lunar spacecraft launch; Proton booster malfunctioned. (USSR)
August 21, 1968 X-15 flight #197; reached 267,500 feet; piloted by Bill Dana. (USA)
August 28, 1968 Kosmos-238; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
September 14, 1968 -- Launch of Zond-5; lunar fly-around. (USSR)
October 11 - 22, 1968 -- Apollo-7; crewed by Walter M. Schirra, Jr., R. Walter Cunningham, and Donn F. Eisele; first manned Apollo mission; earth orbital test. (USA)
October 24, 1968 X-15 flight #199; last flight of aircraft; piloted by Bill Dana. (USA)
October 25, 1968 Soyuz-2, unmanned target for Soyuz-3. (USSR)
October 26 - 30, 1968 -- Soyuz-3, piloted by Georgi Beregovoi; rendezvous with unmanned Soyuz-2; did not dock. (USSR)
November 10, 1968 Launch of Zond-6; lunar fly around; spacecraft crashed after reentry but film cassettes recovered. (USSR)
December 21 - 27, 1968 Apollo-8; crewed by Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders; first manned lunar orbital mission. (USA)
January 14 - 17, 1968 -- Soyuz-4 mission; launched with Vladimir Shatalov on board; docked with Soyuz-5, crew transfer via EVA; Khrunov and Yeliseyev transferred to Soyuz-4 to join Shatalov. (USSR)
January 15 - 17, 1969 -- Soyuz-5; launched with Boris Volynov, Yevgeny Khrunov, and Alexei Yeliseyev on board; docked with Soyuz-4; Khrunov and Yeliseyev joined Shatalov in Soyuz-4 for return to earth. (USSR)
January 20, 1969 -- Launch of Luna automated sample return mission; second stage of Proton booster failed. (USSR)
February 20, 1969 -- First launch of N-1 lunar booster; failure. (USSR)
March 3 - 13, 1969 -- Apollo-9; crewed by James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart; Earth orbital test of Lunar Module. (USA)
April 17, 1969 -- First unpowered free flight of U. S. Air Force X-24A lifting body; piloted by Major Jerauld R. Gentry. (USA)
May 9, 1969 -- First supersonic flight by NASAs HL-10 lifting body; piloted by John A. Manke; reached altitude of Mach 1.1 and altitude of 54,000 feet. (USA)
May 18 - 26, 1969 -- Apollo-10; crewed by Thomas P. Stafford, Eugene A. Cernan, and John W. Young; test of Lunar Module in lunar orbit; final rehearsal for lunar landing mission. (USA)
June 5, 1969 -- Launch of Luna automated sample return mission; second stage of Proton booster failed. (USSR)
July 3, 1969 -- Launch attempt of N-1 lunar booster; exploded and destroyed pad. (USSR)
July 13, 1969 -- Launch of Luna-15; lunar sample return mission; crashed on Moon. (USSR)
July 16 - 24, 1969 -- Apollo-11; crewed by Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins; first manned lunar landing mission. (USA)
July 20, 1969 -- First manned lunar landing by Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin in Lunar Module "Eagle". (USA)
August 7, 1969 Launch of Zond-7; lunar fly around. (USSR)
October 11 - 16, 1969 -- Soyuz-6; crewed by Georgi Shonin and Valeri Kubasov; group flight with Soyuz-7 and 8. (USSR)
October 12 - 18, 1969 -- Soyuz-7; crewed by Anatoli Filipchenko, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Gorbatko; group flight with Soyuz-6 and 8. (USSR)
October 13 - 18, 1969 -- Soyuz-8; crewed by Vladimir Shatalov and Alexei Yelisyev; group flight with Soyuz-6 and 7. (USSR)
November 14 - 24, 1969 Apollo-12; crewed by Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr., Alan L. Bean, and Richard F. Gordon, Jr.; precision lunar landing 600 feet from unmanned Surveyor-3. (USA)
November 28, 1969 First launch attempt of Soviet lunar lander; earth orbital test; second stage of Proton booster failed. (USSR)
April 11 - 17, 1970 -- Apollo-13; crewed by James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr.; explosion in Service Module aborted lunar landing. (USA)
June 1 - 19, 1970 Soyuz-9; crewed by Andrian Nikolayev and Vitali Sevastyanov; 18-day long duration flight. (USSR)
August 8, 1970 Suborbital flight of Soviet space plane; used Proton booster. (USSR)
September 12, 1970 -- Launch of Luna-16, first automated lunar sample return mission; landed on Moon September 20, 1970; returned to Earth on September 24. (USSR)
October 20, 1970 Launch of Zond-8; lunar fly around. (USSR)
November 10, 1970 Launch of Luna-17; unmanned lunar probe landed November 17; delivered remote-control lunar rover Lunakhod-1. (USSR)
November 24, 1970 Kosmos 379; unmanned earth orbital test of lunar lander engine. (USSR)
December 2, 1970 Kosmos 382; unmanned earth orbital test of lunar spacecraft. (USSR)
January 31 - February 9, 1971 -- Apollo-14; crewed by Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa; landing in Fra Mauro region of the moon. (USA)
February 26, 1971 -- Kosmos 398; unmanned earth orbital test of lunar lander engine. (USSR)
April 19, 1971 -- Salyut-1 launched; first space station; launched unmanned. (USSR)
April 23 - 24, 1971 -- Soyuz-10; crewed by Vladimir Shatalov, Alexei Yeliseyev, and Nikolai Rukavishnikov; unsuccessful attempt to board Salyut-1 space station. (USSR)
June 6 - 29, 1971 Soyuz-11; crewed by Georgi Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev; crew occupied Salyut-1; died during reentry due to faulty vent valve. (USSR)
June 27, 1971 -- Launch attempt of N-1 lunar booster; exploded. (USSR)
July 26 - August 7, 1971 -- Apollo-15; crewed by David R. Scott, James B. Irwin, and Alfred M. Worden; landed on moon near Hadley Rille alongside Apennine Mountain Range; first use of Lunar Roving Vehicle; trans-Earth EVA by Worden. (USA)
August 12, 1971 Kosmos 434; unmanned earth orbital test of lunar lander engine. (USR)
September 2, 1971 -- Launch of Luna-18; crashed on Moon after 54 orbits. (USSR)
September 28, 1971 -- Launch of Luna-19; lunar orbiting spacecraft. (USSR)
February 14, 1972 -- Launch of Luna-20; lunar sample return mission. (USSR)
April 16 - 27, 1972 -- Apollo-16; crewed by John W. Young, Charles M. Duke, Jr., and Thomas K. Mattingly II; landed at Descartes region; use of Lunar Roving Vehicle; trans-Earth EVA by Mattingly. (USA)
June 26, 1972 -- Kosmos 496 launched; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
July 29, 1972 -- DOS-2; failed launch attempt of a Salyut-1 style space station. (USSR)
November 23, 1972 Fourth and final test of N-1 lunar booster; exploded 120 seconds after launch. (USSR)
December 7 - 19, 1972 -- Apollo-17; crewed by Eugene A. Cernan, Harrison H. Schmitt, and Ronald B. Evans; landed in Taurus-Littrow region; first night launch of U.S. manned space program; use of Lunar Roving Vehicle; trans-Earth EVA by Evans. (USA)
January 8, 1973 -- Launch of Luna-21; delivered Lunakhod-2 unmanned rover to Moon. (USSR)
April 3, 1973 -- Salyut-2; unmanned space station launch; malfunction after reaching orbit prevented subsequent manned missions. (USSR)
May 11, 1973 -- Kosmos-557; unmanned launch of Salyut type space station; malfunctioned after reaching orbit. (USSR)
May 14, 1973 -- Launch of Skylab-1 unmanned space station; last flight of Saturn V rocket; micrometeoroid shield tore off workshop during launch. (USA)
May 25 - June 22, 1973 -- Skylab-2; crewed by Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr., Joseph P. Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz; occupied Skylab space station; crew repaired and salvaged station following loss of micrometeoroid/thermal shield. (USA)
June 15, 1973 -- Kosmos 573; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
July 28 - September 25, 1973 -- Skylab-3; crewed by Alan L. Bean, Owen K. Garriott, and Jack R. Lousma; 59-day mission aboard Skylab space station. (USA)
September 27 - 29, 1973 -- Soyuz-12; crewed by Vasily Lazarev and Oleg Makarov; first manned flight of redesigned Soyuz spacecraft. (USSR)
November 16, 1973 - February 8, 1974 -- Skylab-4; crewed by Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William K. Pogue; 84-day mission aboard station. (USA)
November 30, 1973 Kosmos 613; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
December 18 - 26, 1973 Soyuz 13; crewed by Pytor Klimuk and Valentin Lebedev. (USSR)
April 3, 1974 -- Kosmos 638; unmanned test of Apollo Soyuz Test Project Soyuz. (USSR)
May 27, 1974 -- Kosmos 656; unmanned Soyuz test. (USSR)
May 29, 1974 -- Launch of Luna-22; lunar orbiting spacecraft. (USSR)
June 24, 1974 -- Launch of Salyut-3 space station. (USSR)
July 3 - 19, 1974 -- Soyuz-14; crewed by Pavel Popovich and Yuri Artyukhin; mission to Salyut-3. (USSR)
August 6, 1974 Kosmos 670; unmanned test of Soyuz T precursor.(USSR)
August 12, 1974 Kosmos 672; unmanned test of ASTP Soyuz. (USSR)
August 26 - 28, 1974 Soyuz-15; crewed by Gennady Sarafanov and Lev Demin; test of automated approach and docking system; did not dock with Salyut-3. (USSR)
October 28, 1974 Launch of Luna-23; crashed on Moon. (USSR)
December 2 - 8, 1974 -- Soyuz-16; crewed by Anatoli Filipchenko and Nikolai Rukavishnikov; rehearsal for Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission. (USSR)
December 26, 1974 Launch of Salyut-4 space station. (USSR)
NOTE: This chronology contains manned space missions; unmanned test flights of manned spacecraft; significant launch vehicle tests; unmanned lunar probes; select space biology flights; piloted stratospheric balloon flights; flights above 50 miles (264,000 feet) by the X-15 rocket plane; and other significant events in the development of manned space programs.
Biological satellites are listed only when they directly supported a manned space project. In the case of missions where crewmembers were launched in one spacecraft and returned in another, the crew names are with the launch spacecraft and explanations of their return to Earth are in the flight description.
A three- or four-letter country designation is given at the end of each entry. The country designations used are as follows:
BEL Belgium
CIS Post 1990 Russia (Commonwealth of Independent States)
FRA France
GER Germany
POL Poland
PRC Peoples Republic of China
RUS Pre-1917 Russia
USA United States
USSR Soviet Union
This chronology lists events through the second flight of Space Ship One on October 4, 2004.
© Gregory Kennedy 2007
© Optimadata, Inc. 2007