1978 in spaceflight

Wikipedia:WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight/Cleanup


The Pioneer Venus Orbiter atop an Atlas-Centaur before launch
Orbital launches
First 6 January
Last 28 December
Total 128
Catalogued 124
National firsts
Space traveller  Czechoslovakia
 Poland
 East Germany
Rockets
Retirements Atlas-Agena
Mu-3H
Manned flights
Orbital 5
Total travellers 10

1978 saw the launch of the Pioneer Venus missions launched by the United States, on 20 May and 8 August. The Pioneer Venus Multiprobe landed four spacecraft on the planet, one of which transmitted data for 67 minutes before being destroyed by atmospheric pressure. ISEE-C, which was launched on 8 December, flew past comet 1P/Halley in 1985.[1]


Contents

Launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
10 January
12:26:00
Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 1/5
Soyuz 27 Low Earth (Salyut 6) Salyut 6 EP-1 16 March
11:18
Successful
Manned flight with two cosmonauts
20 January
08:25
Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 31/6
Progress 1 Low Earth (Salyut 6) Salyut 6 logistics 8 February
02:00
Successful
Maiden flight of Progress spacecraft
2 March
15:28:10
Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 1/5
Soyuz 28 Low Earth (Salyut 6) Salyut 6 EP-2 10 March
11:24
Successful
Manned flight with two cosmonauts, first Czechoslovakian in space
15 June
20:16:45
Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 1/5
Soyuz 29 Low Earth (Salyut 6) Salyut 6 EO-2 31 September
11:40
Successful
Manned flight with two cosmonauts
16 June
10:49
Delta 2914 Cape Canaveral LC-17B
GOES 3 NOAA Geostationary Weather In orbit Operational
27 June
15:27:21
Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 1/5
Soyuz 30 Low Earth (Salyut 6) Salyut 6 EP-3 5 July
13:30
Successful
Manned flight with two cosmonauts, first Pole in space
26 August
14:51:30
Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 1/5
Soyuz 31 Low Earth (Salyut 6) Salyut 6 EP-4 2 November
11:04
Successful
Manned flight with two cosmonauts, first East German in space

Deep Space Rendezvous

Date (GMT) Spacecraft Event Remarks
4 December Pioneer Venus Orbiter Cytherocentric orbit insertion
9 December Pioneer Venus Multiprobe Venerian atmospheric entry The bus, one large and three small subprobes
21 December Venera 12 Venerian landing
25 December Venera 11 Venerian landing

EVAs

Start Date/Time Duration End Time Spacecraft Crew Remarks
29 July
04:00
2 hours
20 minutes
06:20 Salyut 6
PE-2
Vladimir Kovalyonok
Aleksandr Ivanchenkov
Ivanchenkov retrieved samples and experiments attached to the outside of Salyut. Kovalyonok assisted with the retrievals and used a color television camera to transmit EVA images to the ground controllers.

References

Generic references:

Footnotes

  1. ^ Hughes, J (1996) Larousse Desk Reference Encloypedia London RD Press