Compiled by
Gregory P. Kennedy
Manned Space Flight Chronology 1975 to 1984
January 11 - February 9, 1975 -- Soyuz-17; crewed by Alexei Gubarev and Georgi Grechko; 30-day mission to Salyut-4. (USSR)
April 5, 1975 -- Soyuz Anomaly launch abort; crewed by Vasily Lazarev and Oleg Makarov; crew reached suborbital altitude after booster malfunction. (USSR)
May 24 - July 26, 1975 -- Soyuz-18; crewed by Pytor Klimuk and Vitali Sevastyanov; 63-day mission to Salyut-4. (USSR)
July 15 - 21, 1975 -- Soyuz-19; crewed by Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov; Soviet portion of Apollo-Soyuz Test Project; first international docking in space. (USSR)
July 15 - 24, 1975 -- Apollo Soyuz Test Project; crewed by Thomas P. Stafford, Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, and Vance D. Brand; docked with Soyuz-19; last American manned space mission boosted with an expendable launch vehicle. (USA)
September 29, 1975 -- Kosmos 772; unmanned Soyuz T test. (USSR)
October 16, 1975 Luna; failed lunar attempt. (USSR)
November 17, 1975 - February 16, 1976 Soyuz-20; unmanned flight; docked with Salyut-4. (USSR)
June 22, 1976 -- Launch of Salyut-5 space station. (USSR)
July 6 - August 24, 1976 Soyuz-21; crewed by Boris Volynov and Vitaly Zholobov; 48-day mission to Salyut-5. (USSR)
August 9, 1976 Launch of Luna-24; lunar sample return mission. (USSR)
September 15 - 23, 1976 -- Soyuz-22; crewed by Valery Bykovsky and Vladimir Aksenov; military reconnaissance mission. (USSR)
October 14 - 16, 1976 -- Soyuz-23; crewed by Vyacheslav Zudov and Valery Rozhdestvensky; unsuccessful attempt to dock with Salyut-5. (USSR)
November 29, 1976 Kosmos 869; unmanned test of Soyuz T spacecraft. (USSR)
December 15, 1976 Kosmos 881 & 882; dual launch of Merkur spacecraft. (USSR)
February 7 - 25, 1977 -- Soyuz-24; crewed by Viktor Gorbatko and Yuri Glazkov; 16-day mission to Salyut-5. (USSR)
July 17, 1977 -- Launch of Kosmos 929; test of large resupply module for Salyut; solo flight. (USSR)
August 4, 1977 Launch of two Soviet space planes; booster failure. (USSR)
August 12, 1977 First Approach and Landing Test (ALT) free flight of Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise; piloted by Fred W. Haise, Jr. and C. Gordon Fullerton. (USA)
September 13, 1977 -- Second Approach and Landing Test (ALT) free flight of Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise; piloted by Joseph H. Engle and Richard H. Truly. (USA)
September 23, 1977 -- Third Approach and Landing Test (ALT) free flight of Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise; piloted by Fred W. Haise, Jr. and C. Gordon Fullerton. (USA)
September 29, 1977 -- Launch of Salyut-6 space station. (USSR)
October 9 - 11, 1977 -- Soyuz-25; crewed by Vladimir Kovalenok and Valeri V. Ryumin; unsuccessful attempt to dock with Salyut-6. (USSR)
October 12, 1977 Fourth Approach and Landing Test (ALT) free flight of Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise; piloted by Joseph H. Engle and Richard H. Truly. (USA)
October 26, 1977 Fifth and final Approach and Landing Test (ALT) free flight of Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise; piloted by Fred W. Haise, Jr. and C. Gordon Fullerton. (USA)
December 10, 1977 - March 16, 1978 -- Soyuz-26; crewed by Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko; 96-day mission to Salyut-6; crew returned in Soyuz-27 spacecraft. (USSR)
January 10 - 16, 1978 -- Soyuz-27; crewed by Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Oleg Makarov; spacecraft exchange with Salyut-6 crew; crew returned in Soyuz-26 spacecraft. (USSR)
January 20, 1978 -- Progress-1; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
March 2 - 10, 1978 Soyuz-28; crewed by Alexei Gubarev and Vladimir Remek; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with first Czechoslovakian cosmonaut (Remek). (USSR)
March 30, 1978 -- Kosmos 997 & 998; dual launch of Merkur spacecraft. (USSR)
April 4, 1978 -- Kosmos 1001; unmanned test of Soyuz-T spacecraft. (USSR)
June 15 - November 2, 1978 -- Soyuz-29; crewed by Alexander Ivanchenkov and Vladimir Kovalenok; 140-day mission to Salyut-6; crew returned in Soyuz-31 spacecraft. (USSR)
June 27 - July 5, 1978 -- Soyuz-30; crewed by Pytor Klimuk and Miroslaw Hermaszewski; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6; with first Polish cosmonaut (Hermaszewski). (USSR)
July 7, 1978 -- Progress-2; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
August 7, 1978 Progress-3; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
August 26 - September 3, 1978 Soyuz-31; crewed by Valery Bykovsky and Sigmund Jahn; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with East German guest cosmonaut (Jahn); crew returned in Soyuz-29. (USSR)
October 3, 1978 -- Progress-4; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
January 31, 1979 -- Kosmos 1074; unmanned long duration test of Soyuz-T; reentered on April 1. (USSR)
February 25 - August 19, 1979 -- Soyuz-32; crewed by Vladimir Lyakov and Valeri V. Ryumin; 175-day mission aboard Salyut-6; crew returned in Soyuz-34. (USSR)
March 12, 1979 -- Progress-5; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
April 10 - 12, 1979 -- Soyuz-33; crewed by Nikolai Rukavishnikov and Georgi Ivanov; unsuccessful attempt to dock with Salyut-6; Intercosmos mission with Bulgarian cosmonaut (Ivanov). (USSR)
May 13, 1979 -- Progress-6; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
May 22, 1979 -- Kosmos 1100 & 1101; dual launch of Merkur spacecraft. (USSR)
June 6, 1979 -- Soyuz-34; unmanned launch of crew return craft; automated docking with Salyut-6; Soyuz-32 crew returned August 19, 1979. (USSR)
June 28, 1979 -- Progress-7; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
December 16, 1979 - March 25, 1980 -- Soyuz T-1; unmanned test of new Soyuz variant; docked with Salyut-6. (USSR)
March 27, 1980 -- Progress-8; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
April 9 - October 11, 1980 -- Soyuz-35; crewed by Leonid Popov and Valeri V. Ryumin; 185-day mission to Salyut-6; crew returned in Soyuz-37 spacecraft. (USSR)
April 27, 1980 -- Progress-9; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
May 26 - June 3, 1980 -- Soyuz-36; crewed by Valeri Kubasov and Bertalan Farkas; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with Hungarian cosmonaut (Farkas); crew returned in Soyuz-35. (USSR)
June 5 - 9, 1980 Soyuz T-2; crewed by Yuri Malyshev and Vladimir Aksyonov; first manned flight of improved Soyuz; docked with Salyut-6. (USSR)
June 29, 1980 -- Progress-10; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
July 23 - 31, 1980 -- Soyuz-37; crewed by Viktor Gorbatko and Pham Tuan; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with Vietnamese cosmonaut (Tuan); crew returned in Soyuz-36. (USSR)
September 18 - 26, 1980 -- Soyuz-38; crewed by Yuri Romanenko and Arnaldo Tamayo-Mendez; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with Cuban cosmonaut (Tamayo-Mendez). (USSR)
September 28, 1980 -- Progress-11; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
November 27 - December 10, 1980 -- Soyuz T-3; crewed by Leonid Kizim, Gennady Strekalov, and Oleg Makarov; repair mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
January 24, 1981-- Progress-12; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
March 12 - May 26, 1981 -- Soyuz T-4; crewed by Vladimir Kovalyonok and Viktor Savinykh; 75-day mission to Salyut-6. (USSR)
March 22 - 30, 1981 -- Soyuz-39; crewed by Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Jugderdemidyin Gurragcha; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with Mongolian cosmonaut (Gurragcha). (USSR)
April 12 - 14, 1981 -- STS-1; Columbia; crewed by John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen; first flight of Space Shuttle. (USA)
April 25, 1981 -- Kosmos 1267; large logistics module (15,100 kg.); docked with Salyut-6 on June 19. (USSR)
May 14 - 22, 1981 -- Soyuz-40; crewed by Leonid Popov and Dumitru Prunariu; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-6 with Romanian cosmonaut (Prunariu); last mission using original Soyuz craft. (USSR)
November 12 - 14, 1981-- STS-2; Columbia; crewed by Joseph H. Engle and Richard H. Truly; second Space Shuttle mission. (USA)
March 22 - 30, 1982 -- STS-3; Columbia; crewed by Jack R. Lousma and C. Gordon Fullerton; landed at White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico. (USA)
April 19, 1982 -- Launch of Salyut-7 space station. (USSR)
May 13 - December 10, 1982 -- Soyuz T-5; crewed by Anatoli Berezovoi and Valentin Lebedev; mission to Salyut-7; crew returned in Soyuz T-7. (USSR)
May 23, 1982 -- Progress 13; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
June 3, 1982 -- Kosmos 1374; unmanned BOR-4 spaceplane; launched from Kapustin Yar. (USSR)
June 24 - July 2, 1982 -- Soyuz T-6; crewed by Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Alexander Ivanchenkov, and Jean-Loup Chretien; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-7 with French astronaut (Chretien). (USSR)
June 26 - July 4, 1982 -- STS-4; Columbia; crewed by Thomas K. Mattingly II and Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.; classified DoD Payload; last mission in Orbiter Flight Test program. (USA)
July 10, 1982 -- Progress 14; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
August 19 - 27, 1982 Soyuz T-7; crewed by Leonid Popov, Alexander Serebrov, and Svetlana Savitskaya; mission to Salyut-7; first woman in space since Tereshkova; crew returned in Soyuz T-5 spacecraft. (USSR)
September 18, 1982 -- Progress 15; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
October 31, 1982 Progress 16; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
November 11 - 16, 1982 STS-5; Columbia; crewed by Vance D. Brand, Robert F. Overmeyer, Joseph P. Allen, and William B. Lenoir; first operational Space Shuttle flight; carried Anik C-3 and SBS-3 satellites. (USA)
March 2, 1983 -- Kosmos 1443; large freighter module with Merkur spacecraft; delivered 3600 kg. of supplies to Salyut-7; Merkur used to return materials from station. (USSR)
March 15, 1983 -- Kosmos 1445; unmanned BOR-4 spaceplane; launched from Kapustin Yar. (USSR)
April 4 - 9, 1983 -- STS-6; Challenger; crewed by Paul J. Weitz, Karol J. Bobko, Donald H. Peterson, and F. Story Musgrave; first flight of Challenger; carried TDRS-A; first EVA of Shuttle program. (USA)
April 20 - 22, 1983 -- Soyuz T-8; crewed by Vladimir Titov, Gennady Strekalov and Alexander Serebrov; unsuccessful attempt to dock with Salyut-7. (USSR)
June 18 - 24, 1983 STS-7; Challenger; crewed by Robert L. Crippen, Frederick H. Hauck, John M. Fabian, Sally K. Ride, and Norman E. Thagard; carried Anik C-2, Palapa B-1 and SPAS-1 retrievable satellite; first American woman in space. (USA)
June 27 - November 23, 1983 -- Soyuz T-9; crewed by Vladimir Lyakhov and Aleksander Aleksandrov; 150-day mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
August 17, 1983 Progress 17; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
August 30 - September 5, 1983 STS-8; Challenger; crewed by Richard H. Truly, Daniel C. Brandenstein, Dale A. Gardner, Guion S. Bluford, and William E. Thornton; carried Insat-1B; first night Shuttle launch and landing. (USA)
September 26, 1983 -- Soyuz T-10A; crewed by Vladimir Titov and Gennady Strekalov; launch pad abort, launch escape system pulled cosmonauts to safety after launch vehicle caught fire. (USSR)
October 20, 1983 Progress 18; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
November 28 - December 8, 1983 -- STS-9; Columbia; crewed by John W. Young, Brewster H. Shaw, Owen K. Garriott, Ulf Merbold, Robert A. Parker, and Byron K. Lichtenberg; Spacelab-1 mission; ESA payload specialist (Merbold); first non-American to fly on a U.S. spacecraft. (USA)
December 27, 1983 Kosmos 1517; unmanned BOR-4 spaceplane; launched from Kapustin Yar. (USSR)
February 3 - 11, 1984 -- STS 41-B; Challenger; crewed by Vance D. Brand, Robert L. Hoot Gibson, Bruce McCandless II, Robert L. Stewart, and Ronald E. McNair; carried Westar VI, Palapa B-2 and SPAS-2 recoverable satellite; first test of Manned Maneuvering Unit. (USA)
February 8 - October 2, 1984 Soyuz T-10; crewed by Leonid Kizim, Vladimir Solovyov, and Oleg Atkov; mission to Salyut-7; crew returned in Soyuz T-11 spacecraft.
February 21, 1984 -- Progress 19; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
April 3 - 11, 1984 -- Soyuz T-11; crewed by Yuri Malyshev, Gennady Strekalov, and Rakesh Sharma; Intercosmos mission to Salyut-7 with Indian cosmonaut (Sharma); crew returned in Soyuz T-10. (USSR)
April 6 - 13, 1984 -- STS 41-C; Challenger; crewed by Robert L. Crippen, Francis R. Scobee, George D. Nelson, Terry J. Hart, and James D. van Hoften; carried Long Duration Exposure Facility; Solar Maximum Mission satellite repair. (USA)
April 15, 1984 -- Progress 20; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
May 7, 1984 -- Progress 21; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
May 28, 1984 -- Progress 22; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
July 6, 1984 -- Suborbital launch of BOR-5 from Kapustin Yar; 1:8 scale test model of Buran Space Shuttle. (USSR)
July 17 - 29, 1984 -- Soyuz T-12; crewed by Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Svetlana Savitskaya, and Igor Volk; mission to Salyut-7; Savitskaya became first woman to perform an EVA. (USSR)
August 14, 1984 Progress 23; unmanned resupply mission to Salyut-7. (USSR)
August 30 - September 4, 1984 STS 41-D; Discovery; crewed by Henry W. Hartsfield, Michael L. Coates, Judith A. Resnik, Steven A. Hawley, Richard M. Mullane, and Charles D. Walker; carried Leasat-1 (Syncom IV-1) and a deployable solar array, OAST-1; first flight of Orbiter Discovery. (USA)
October 5 - 13, 1984 -- STS 41-G; Challenger; crewed by Robert L. Crippen, Jon A. McBride, Kathryn D. Sullivan, Sally K. Ride, David C. Leestma, Marc Garneau, and Paul Scully-Power; carried Earth Radiation Budget Satellite; first Canadian astronaut (Garneau). (USA)
November 7 - 14, 1984 -- STS 51-A; Discovery; crewed by Frederick H. Hauck, David M. Walker, Anna L. Fisher, Joseph P. Allen, and Dale A. Gardner; launched Anik D-2 and Leasat-2 (Syncom IV-2); retrieved Westar VI and Palapa B-2. (USA)
December 19, 1984 Kosmos 1614; unmanned BOR-4 spaceplane; launched from Kapustin Yar. (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