2006 in spaceflight

Launch of New Horizons, the first probe to Pluto, on the first Atlas V 551

Orbital launches
First| 19 January
Last| 27 December
Total| 67
Successes| 62
Failures| 5
Partial failures| 0
Catalogued| 63[a]
National firsts
Satellite|  Kazakhstan
Space traveller|  Brazil
Iran
Sweden
Rockets
Maiden flights| Atlas V 411
Atlas V 551
Long March 4B-II (4C)
Falcon 1
H-IIA 204
Soyuz-2.1b
Retirements| Tsyklon-2
M-V
Crewed flights
Orbital| 5
Total travellers| 26

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This article outlines notable events occurring in 2006 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs. 2006 saw Brazil, Iran, and Sweden all get a national into space for the first time.

## Launches[edit]

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

Date and time (UTC)  | Rocket | Flight number  | Launch site | LSP

|
|
|
|

| Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat)  | Operator  | Orbit | Function  | Decay (UTC)  | Outcome
Remarks

### January[edit]

18 January
11:48[1] | Sounding Rocket V |  | Jiu Peng Air Base | NSPO
| NSPO/NCU | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 11:57 | Successful
Apogee: 282 kilometres (175 mi)
19 January
19:00:00  | Atlas V 551  |  | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | International Launch Services
New Horizons | NASA | Galactocentric | Pluto flyby | In orbit | Operational
Maiden flight of Atlas V 551, first spacecraft to visit Pluto and explored the Kuiper belt. First spacecraft launched directly to Sun-escape velocity
22 January
04:00  | S-310 |  | Uchinoura | JAXA
Furoshiki | JAXA  | Suborbital  | Technology | 22 January | Successful
Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
24 January
01:33  | H-IIA 2022  |  | Tanegashima LA-Y1 |  JAXA[4]
Daichi (ALOS)  | JAXA  | Sun-synchronous | Remote Sensing | In orbit | Partial spacecraft failure
Operational
Poor quality images returned due to attitude control and noise problems[2] was resolved by software adjustment.[3]

### February[edit]

6 February |  Dong Feng 21 |  |  Xichang |  PLA
| PLA  | Suborbital  | ASAT | 6 February | Spacecraft failure
Apogee: 800 kilometres (500 mi), missed satellite
8 February
18:47  |  Black Brant IX |  |  White Sands LC-36 |  NASA
MOSES |  | Suborbital  | Solar | 8 February | Successful
Apogee: 282 kilometres (175 mi)
15 February
23:34:55  |  Zenit-3SL |  |  Ocean Odyssey |  Sea Launch
EchoStar X | EchoStar | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational
16 February
08:01  |  LGM-30G Minuteman III |  |  Vandenberg LF-10 |  US Air Force
SERV-3 | US Air Force  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 16 February | Successful
Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
18 February
06:27  |  H-IIA 2024  |  |  Tanegashima LA-Y1  |  RSC[5][6]
MTSAT-2 | MILT/JMA | Geosynchronous  | ATC/Weather | In orbit | Operational
Last launch conducted by RSC
21 February
21:28:00  |  M-V |  |  Uchinoura  |  JAXA
Akari (ASTRO-F)  | JAXA  | Sun-synchronous  | IR astronomy | 11 April 2023
04:44[7] | Successful
⚀ Cute-1.7+APD | TiTech | Low Earth | Amateur radio | 24 October 2009[8] | Successful
Cute-1.7+APD is a 2U CubeSat
23 February
16:09  |  UGM-27 Polaris (STARS)  |  |  Kodiak |  Sandia
FT-03-1 |  | Suborbital  | Target | 23 February | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
28 February
20:10:00  |  Proton-M/Briz-M |  |  Baikonur Site 200/39 |  International Launch Services
Arabsat 4A | Arabsat | Intended: Geosynchronous
Achieved: Medium Earth | Communications | 24 March[9] | Launch failure
Upper stage malfunction left payload in useless orbit, deorbited after attempts to raise orbit failed

### March[edit]

8 March
08:45  | RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 |  | USS Lake Erie, PMRF | US Navy
JCTV-1 | US Navy/MDA/JMSDF | Suborbital  | Missile test | 8 March | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
11 March
22:33  | Ariane 5ECA  |  | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace
Spainsat | Hisdesat | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
Hot Bird 7A | Eutelsat | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
22 March
14:03  | Pegasus-XL |  | Stargazer, Vandenberg  | Orbital Sciences
ST-5A | NASA  | Low Earth  | Technology | In orbit | Successful
ST-5B | NASA  | Low Earth  | Technology | In orbit | Successful
ST-5C | NASA  | Low Earth  | Technology | In orbit | Successful
All three satellites deactivated on 30 June
24 March
22:30  | Falcon 1 |  | Omelek | SpaceX
FalconSat 2 | USAF Academy | Intended: Low Earth  | Plasma research | T+60 seconds | Launch failure
Maiden flight of Falcon 1, rocket lost power shortly after launch due to engine fire caused by corrosion of a nut on a fuel line.
25 March
03:15  | Terrier-Orion |  | Woomera LA-2 | Queensland
Hyshot-3 | Queensland  | Suborbital  | Hypersonic research | 03:25 | Successful
Apogee: 325 kilometres (202 mi)
30 March
02:30:20  | Soyuz-FG |  | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roskosmos
Soyuz TMA-8 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS Expedition 13 | 29 September
01:13 | Successful
Crewed orbital flight with 3 cosmonauts, first Brazilian in space
30 March
02:40  | Terrier-Orion  |  | Woomera LA-2  | Queensland
Hyshot-4 | Queensland/JAXA  | Suborbital  | Hypersonic research | 30 March | Launch failure
Apogee: 290 kilometres (180 mi), nosecone failed to separate

### April[edit]

7 April
13:00  | LGM-30G Minuteman III  |  | Vandenberg LF-26 | US Air Force
GT-190GM | US Air Force  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 7 April | Successful
Long-range test, aimed at Guam, apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
12 April
18:10  | Black Brant IX  |  | White Sands LC-36  | NASA
EUNIS | NASA  | Suborbital  | Solar | 12 April | Successful
Apogee: 318 kilometres (198 mi)
12 April
23:29:59  | Zenit-3SL  |  | Ocean Odyssey  | Sea Launch
JCSAT-5A (JCSAT-9, N-STAR d)  | JCSAT | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
13 April | SR19-SR19 |  | PMRF  | Sandia
FTC-02B | MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 13 April | Successful
Apogee: 200 kilometres (120 mi)
15 April
01:40:00  |  Minotaur I |  |  Vandenberg SLC-8 |  Orbital Sciences
COSMIC-FM1 (FORMOSAT-3A)  | NASA / NSPO | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful
COSMIC-FM2 (FORMOSAT-3B)  | NASA / NSPO | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Partial spacecraft failure
Successful
COSMIC-FM3 (FORMOSAT-3C)  | NASA / NSPO | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Partial spacecraft failure
Successful
COSMIC-FM4 (FORMOSAT-3D)  | NASA / NSPO | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful
COSMIC-FM5 (FORMOSAT-3E)  | NASA / NSPO | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful
COSMIC-FM6 (FORMOSAT-3F)  | NASA / NSPO | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful
Power system and solar panel malfunctions on FM2 and FM3, control issues with FM6 during 2007. Constellation deactivated on 1 May 2020 after 14 years in operation.
20 April
20:27:00  | Atlas V 411  |  | Cape Canaveral SLC-41  | International Launch Services
Astra 1KR | SES Astra | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
Maiden flight of Atlas V 411, final ILS Atlas launch
22 April
16:40  | Kosmos-3MR |  | Kapustin Yar Site 107/1 | RVSN
PBS-2 | RVSN  | Suborbital  | REV test | 22 April | Successful
Apogee: 675 kilometres (419 mi)
24 April
16:03:25  | Soyuz-U |  | Baikonur Site 1/5  | Roskosmos
Progress M-56 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth (ISS)  | Logistics | 18 September | Successful
ISS flight 21P
25 April
16:47:16  | Start-1 |  | Svobodny Site 5 | United Start
EROS B | ImageSat | Low Earth (polar)  | Imaging | In orbit | Operational
Final launch from Svobodny Cosmodrome
26 April
22:48  | Long March 4B-II (4C)  |  | Taiyuan LC-1 | CNSA
Yaogan 1 | CAST  | Low Earth  | Imaging | In orbit | Operational
Maiden flight of Long March 4B-II, redesignated Long March 4C by November 2007
28 April
10:02:16  | Delta II 7420-10C  |  | Vandenberg SLC-2W | Boeing IDS
CALIPSO | NASA/CNES | Sun-synchronous  | Climatology | In orbit | Operational
CloudSat | NASA  | Sun-synchronous  | Climatology | In orbit | Successful
Both satellites part of the A-train constellation, spacecraft study aerosols and clouds respectively
28 April | SR19-SR19  |  | PMRF  | Sandia
FTC-02 | MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 28 April | Successful
Apogee: 200 kilometres (120 mi)
29 April | Shaheen-II |  | Sonmiani | Army of Pakistan
| Army of Pakistan  | Suborbital  | Target | 29 April | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)

### May[edit]

2 May
06:16  | Maxus (Castor 4B)  |  | Esrange | EuroLaunch
MAXUS 9 | ESA/SSC | Suborbital  | Microgravity | 2 May | Successful
Apogee: 702 kilometres (436 mi)
3 May
17:38  | Soyuz-U  |  | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | RVSN
Kosmos 2420 (Kobal't-M)  | VKS | Low Earth  | Optical imaging | In orbit | Operational
10 May
08:12  | VSB-30 |  | Esrange  | EuroLaunch
TEXUS-43 | DLR/SSC  | Suborbital  | Microgravity | 10 May | Successful
Apogee: 237 kilometres (147 mi)
11 May | THAAD |  | White Sands  | US Army
FTT-02 | MDA  | Suborbital  | ABM test | 11 May | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi), simulated intercept
22 May
09:30  | Terrier-Orion  |  | White Sands  | NASA
ACS | NASA  | Suborbital  | Test | 22 May | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
22 May | Shahab-3 |  | Shahrood | IRG
| IRG  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 22 May | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
24 May
22:11:00  |  Delta IV-M+ (4,2)  |  |  Cape Canaveral SLC-37B |  Boeing IDS
GOES 13 (GOES-N)  | NASA / NOAA / U.S. Space Force | Geosynchronous | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational
Decommissioned in 2018; reactivated in September 2020 to serve as the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System – Geostationary (EWS-G1) satellite for the U.S. Space Force.[10]
26 May
18:50  | Shtil' |  | K-84 Ekaterinburg, Barents Sea | VMF
Kompass 2 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth  | Earthquake detection | 28 December 2011 | Partial spacecraft failure
Control and power problems made satellite unusable. Written off on 29 May 2006. Problems cleared by November, and satellite re-activated.[11]
27 May
21:09  |  Ariane 5 ECA  |  |  Kourou ELA-3 |  Arianespace
Satmex 6 | Satmex | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful
Thaicom 5 | Shin Satellite | Geosynchronous | Communications | 26 February 2020
09:52[12] | Successful
Record for heaviest dual-payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit, stood until May 2007.

### June[edit]

5 June
16:05  | Terrier-Orion  |  | White Sands  | NASA
| NAWC | Suborbital  | Target | 5 June | Successful
Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
7 June
22:00  | Terrier-Orion  |  | PMRF  | NASA
| NAWC  | Suborbital  | Target | 7 June | Successful
Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
8 June
16:00  | Terrier-Orion  |  | White Sands  | NASA
DUNDEE | NAWC  | Suborbital  | Target | 8 June | Successful
Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
14 June
08:22  | LGM-30G Minuteman III  |  | Vandenberg LF-04 | US Air Force
GT-191GM | US Air Force  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 14 June | Successful
Carried three Mk. 21 re-entry vehicles, Apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
15 June
08:00:00  | Soyuz-U  |  | Baikonur Site 1/5  | Roskosmos
Resurs-DK-1 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth  | Remote sensing | In orbit | Operational
17 June
22:44:05  | Proton-K/DM-3 |  | Baikonur Site 200/39  | Khrunichev
KazSat-1 | JSC KazSat | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Spacecraft failure
First Kazakh satellite, satellite suffered control problems and was unusable by October 2008
18 June
07:50  | Zenit-3SL  |  | Ocean Odyssey  | Sea Launch
Galaxy 16 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
Launched for PanAmSat, transferred to Intelsat before entry into service due to merger
21 June
22:15  | Delta II 7925  |  | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | Boeing IDS
USA-187 (MiTEx-A)  | US Air Force/DARPA | Geostationary  | Technology | In orbit | Operational
USA-188 (MiTEx-B)  | US Air Force/DARPA  | Geostationary  | Technology | In orbit | Operational
USA-189 (MiTEx Carrier)  | NRL/DARPA  | Geostationary  | Technology | In orbit | Operational
22 June
22:00  | MRT (Castor 4B)  |  | PMRT  | US Navy
FTM-10 Target  | US Navy/MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 22 June | Successful
Intercepted by SM-3, apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
22 June
22:04  | RIM-161 Standard Missile 3  |  | USS Shiloh, PMRF  | US Navy
FTM-10  | US Navy/MDA  | Suborbital  | ABM test | 22 June | Successful
Intercepted MRT, apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
23 June
23:02  | Terrier-Orion  |  | PMRF  | NASA
TRACKEX | NAWC/MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 23 June | Successful
Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
24 June
15:08:18  | Soyuz-U  |  | Baikonur Site 1/5  | Roskosmos
Progress M-57 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth (ISS)  | Logistics | 17 January 2007 | Successful
ISS flight 22P
25 June
04:00  | Tsyklon-2 |  | Baikonur Site 90/20 | VKS
Kosmos 2421 (US-PU)  | VMF  | Low Earth  | ELINT | 20 March 2008 | Partial spacecraft failure
Final flight of Tsyklon-2 rocket. One of satellite's solar panels failed to deploy,[13] ceased operations in February or March 2008 and destroyed in orbit on 20 March. Spacecraft carried KONUS-A gamma-ray astronomy experiment for Roskosmos
28 June
03:30:00  | Delta IV-M+ (4,2)  |  | Vandenberg SLC-6 | Boeing IDS
USA-184 (Improved Trumpet)  | NRO | Molniya | ELINT | In orbit | Operational
First EELV launch from Vandenberg, carried SBIRS-HEO-1 and TWINS-A instruments for the US Air Force and NASA respectively, NRO Launch 22
30 June
06:25  | R-29RMU Sineva |  | K-84 Ekaterinburg, Barents Sea | VMF
| VMF  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 30 June | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)

### July[edit]

1 July
06:39  | Terrier-Orion  |  | Andøya | Andøya/NASA
/SPIRIT-III | ESPRIT | Suborbital  | Ionospheric
Plasma research | 1 July | Successful
Apogee: 200 kilometres (120 mi)
1 July
06:39  | Terrier-Orion  |  | Andøya  | Andøya
HotPay-1 | Andøya  | Suborbital  | Aeronomy | 1 July | Launch failure
Apogee: 40 kilometres (25 mi)
4 July
18:32  | Hwasong-6 |  | Kittaeryong | KPA
| KPA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 4 July | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi), first of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
4 July
18:37:55  | Space Shuttle Discovery |  | Kennedy LC-39B | United Space Alliance
STS-121 | NASA  | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS assembly | 17 July
13:14 | Successful
Leonardo MPLM | ASI/NASA  | Low Earth (ISS)  | Logistics | Successful
Crewed flight with 7 astronauts, second Return to Flight mission after Columbia accident
4 July
19:04  | Rodong-1 |  | Kittaeryong  | KPA
| KPA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 4 July | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi), second of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
4 July
20:01  | Taepodong-2 |  | Musudan-ri | KPA
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 | KPA  | Intended: Low Earth
(unconfirmed)  | Weather/Communication | +42 seconds | Launch failure
Maiden flight of Taepodong-2, rocket failed shortly after launch, reaching an apogee of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), intended as an orbital launch attempt,[14] but later North Korea claimed for a suborbital missile self-destruct test and destruction success (not launch failure),[15] third of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
4 July
22:31  | Rodong-1  |  | Kittaeryong  | KPA
| KPA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 4 July | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi), fourth of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
4 July
22:12  | Hwasong-6  |  | Kittaeryong  | KPA
| KPA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 4 July | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi), fifth of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
4 July
23:20  | Rodong-1  |  | Kittaeryong  | KPA
| KPA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 4 July | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi), sixth of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
5 July
08:20  | Rodong-1  |  | Kittaeryong  | KPA
| KPA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 5 July | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi), last of seven North Korean launches in fourteen hours
9 July
05:33  | Agni III |  | Integrated Test Range LC-4 | DRDO
| DRDO  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 9 July | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
10 July
12:08  | GSLV |  | Satish Dhawan SLP  | ISRO
INSAT 4C | ISRO  | Intended: Geostationary  | Communications | T+60 seconds | Launch failure
Loss of control due to LRB engine failure, self-destructed 60 seconds into flight
12 July
11:17  | Hera |  | White Sands  | US Army
FFT-4 Target  | US Army/MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 12 July | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), Intercepted after reentry by endoatmospheric THAAD launched at 11:20
12 July
14:53:36  | Dnepr |  | Dombarovskiy | ISC Kosmotras
Genesis I | Bigelow | Low Earth  | Technology | In orbit | Operational
First uncrewed prototype of a commercial space station module
21 July
10:14  | LGM-30G Minuteman III  |  | Vandenberg LF-09 | US Air Force
GT-192GM | US Air Force  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 21 July | Successful
Carried three Mk.21 reentry vehicles, apogee: 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
21 July
04:20:03  |  Molniya-M |  |  Plesetsk Site 16/2 |  VKS
Kosmos 2422 (Oko)  | VKS | Molniya | Missile defense | 22 November 2019
20:15[16] | Successful
26 July
19:43:05  | Dnepr  |  | Baikonur Site 109/95 | ISC Kosmotras
BelKA | NAS | Intended: Low Earth  | Observation | T+74 seconds | Launch failure
Unisat-4 | Sapienza | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
Baumanets | Roskosmos  | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
PicPot | PoliTo | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
SACRED | Arizona
Montpelier
Alcatel | Intended: Low Earth  | Radiation
ION | Illinois | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
Ionospheric
Rincon 1 | Arizona  | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
ICECube-1 | Cornell | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
KUTESat Pathfinder | Kansas | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
SEEDS | Nichidai | Intended: Low Earth  | Amateur radio
nCube-1 | NSSP | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
HAUSAT-1 | HAU | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
MEROPE | Montana | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
CP2 | CalPoly | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
AeroCube-1 | Aerospace | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
CP1 | CalPoly  | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
Mea Huaka'i (Voyager)  | Hawaii | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
ICECube-2 | Cornell  | Intended: Low Earth  | Technology
First-stage engine hydraulic pump failure, thrust termination system activated
28 July
07:05:43  | Rokot/Briz-KM |  | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Eurockot
Arirang-2 (KOMPSAT-2)  | KARI | Low Earth  | Earth Observation | In orbit | Operational

### August[edit]

3 August
10:38  | RT-2PM Topol (RS-12M)  |  | Plesetsk  | RVSN
| RVSN  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 11:04 | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), impacted Kura Test Range
4 August
21:48:00  | Proton-M/Briz-M  |  | Baikonur Site 200/39  | International Launch Services
Hot Bird 8 | Eutelsat  | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
11 August
22:15  | Ariane 5ECA  |  | Kourou ELA-3  | Arianespace
JCSat 10 | JSAT | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
Syracuse 3B | DGA | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
21 August
14:30  | Black Brant IX  |  | White Sands LC-36  | NASA
| MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 21 August | Successful
Apogee: 380 kilometres (240 mi)
22 August
03:27:01  | Zenit-3SL  |  | Ocean Odyssey  | Sea Launch
Koreasat 5 | KT/ADD | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
25 August
14:30  | Black Brant IX  |  | White Sands LC-36  | NASA
| MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 21 August | Successful
Apogee: 382 kilometres (237 mi), THAAD target

### September[edit]

1 September
17:22  | UGM-27 Polaris (STARS)  |  | Kodiak  | Sandia
GMD FTG-02 target  | MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 1 September | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), intercepted by GBI
1 September
17:39  | Orbital Boost Vehicle |  | Vandenberg LF-23 | Orbital Sciences/MDA
GMD FTG-02  | MDA  | Suborbital  | ABM test | 1 September | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), intercepted STARS
4 September | Dong Feng 31 |  | Taiyuan  | PLA
| PLA  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 4 September | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
7 September
15:50  | RSM-56 Bulava (R-30)  |  | RFS Dmitriy Donskoy, White Sea | VMF
| VMF  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 7 September | Launch failure
Apogee: 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), first stage malfunction
9 September
07:00  |  Long March 2C |  |  Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 |  CNSA
Shijian 8  | CASC | Low Earth  | Biological | 24 September
02:43 | Successful
Investigated exposure of seeds to microgravity and radiation, spacecraft recovered after reentry
9 September
11:20  | R-29RMU Sineva  |  | K-84 Ekaterinburg, North Pole | VMF
| VMF  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 9 September | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
9 September
15:14:55  | Space Shuttle  Atlantis |  | Kennedy LC-39B  | United Space Alliance
STS-115 | NASA  | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS assembly | 21 September
10:21 | Successful
ITS P3/4 Truss | NASA  | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS component | In orbit | Operational
Crewed orbital flight with 6 astronauts, first ISS assembly mission since 2002
9 September
22:17:00  | Nike-Orion |  | Andøya  | Andøya
ECOMA-1 | Andøya/DLR  | Suborbital  | Atmospheric | 9 September | Successful
Apogee: 130 kilometres (81 mi)
10 September
14:50  | R-29R Volna |  | K-433 Svyaity Georgiy, Simushir | VMF
| VMF  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 10 September | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
11 September
04:35  | H-IIA 202  |  | Tanegashima LA-Y1  | JAXA
IGS-3A | CSICE | Low Earth  | Optical imaging | 29 October 2016 |
12 September
16:02  | Long March 3A |  | Taiyuan LC-1  | CNSC
ChinaSat 22A | ChinaSat | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
13 September
10:30  | Hera  |  | White Sands  | US Army
FFT-5 Target  | US Army/MDA  | Suborbital  | Target | 13 September | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), THAAD target
14 September
13:41:00  | Soyuz-U  |  | Baikonur Site 31/6 | VKS
Kosmos 2423 (Don)  | VKS  | Low Earth  | Optical imaging | 17 November | Successful
Ceased operations on 14 November, self-destructed 3 days later
17 September
21:06:46  | Nike-Orion  |  | Andøya  | Andøya
ECOMA-2 | Andøya/DLR  | Suborbital  | Atmospheric | 17 September | Successful
Apogee: 129 kilometres (80 mi)
18 September
04:08:42  | Soyuz-FG  |  | Baikonur Site 1/5  | Roskosmos
Soyuz TMA-9 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS Expedition 14 | 21 April 2007
12:31 | Successful
Crewed orbital flight with 3 cosmonauts including the first female space tourist and Iranian-born space traveller
22 September
21:36:00  | M-V  |  | Uchinoura  | JAXA
Hinode (SOLAR-B)  | JAXA  | Sun-synchronous  | Solar | In orbit | Operational
HIT-SAT | HIT | Low Earth  | Technology | 18 June 2008
08:48 | Successful
SSSAT | JAXA  |  | Solar sail | 26 September | Spacecraft failure
Final flight of M-V rocket and Mu family, SSSat failed to establish communications with ground[17]
23 September
15:17:54  | Black Brant XI |  | Wallops Island | NASA
| NASA  | Suborbital  | Test | 23 September | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)
25 September
18:50  | Delta II 7925  |  | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A  | Boeing IDS
USA-190 (GPS IIR-15/M2)  | US Air Force  | Medium Earth  | Navigation | In orbit | Operational
25 September
20:14  | SpaceLoft XL |  | Spaceport America | UP Aerospace
| Various  | Suborbital  | Various | T+60 seconds | Launch failure
Maiden flight of SpaceLoft XL sounding rocket, first flight from Spaceport America, rocket went out of control and failed to reach space, apogee: 12 kilometres (7.5 mi)

### October[edit]

13 October
20:56  | Ariane 5ECA  |  | Kourou ELA-3  | Arianespace
DirecTV-9S | DirecTV | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
Optus D1 | Optus | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
LDREX-2 | JAXA  | Geosynchronous transfer | Technology | 30 September 2010
02:23[18] | Successful
19 October
16:28:13  | Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat |  | Baikonur Site 31/6  | Starsem
MetOp-A | EUMETSAT | Sun-synchronous  | Weather | In orbit | Operational
Maiden flight of Soyuz-2.1a/Fregat
23 October
13:40:36  | Soyuz-U  |  | Baikonur Site 1/5  | Roskosmos
Progress M-58 | Roskosmos  | Low Earth (ISS)  | Logistics | 27 March 2007
22:44 | Successful
ISS flight 23P, antenna stowage issues on 26 October initially prevented full mechanical docking, second attempt was successful.
23 October
23:34  |  Long March 4B |  |  Taiyuan LC-1  |  CNSA
Shijian 6-02A  | CASC  | Low Earth  | Environmental | In orbit | Operational
Shijian 6-02B  | CASC  | Low Earth  | Environmental | In orbit | Operational
25 October
13:05  | RSM-56 Bulava (R-30)  |  | RFS Dmitriy Donskoy, Beloye More | VMF
| VMF  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 25 October | Launch failure
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi), first stage malfunction
26 October
00:52:00  | Delta II 7925  |  | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Boeing IDS
STEREO-A | NASA  | Heliocentric | Solar | In orbit | Operational
STEREO-B | NASA  | Heliocentric  | Solar | In orbit | Operational
28 October
16:20  | Long March 3B |  | Xichang LA-2  | CASC
Sinosat-2 | Sinosat | Intended: Geosynchronous
Achieved: Subsynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Spacecraft failure
Solar panels and communications antenna failed to deploy
28 October
17:58:00  | Black Brant IX  |  | White Sands LC-36  | NASA
LASP |  | Suborbital  | Solar | 28 October | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)
30 October
23:48:59  | Zenit-3SL  |  | Ocean Odyssey  | Sea Launch
XM-4 "Blues" | XM Satellite Radio | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational

### November[edit]

2 November | Shahab-3  |  | Shahrood  | IRG
| IRG  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 2 November | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
4 November
13:53  | Delta IV-M |  | Vandenberg SLC-6  | Boeing IDS
USA-191 (DMSP F17)  | US Air Force/NOAA  | Sun-synchronous  | Weather | In orbit | Operational
7 November
19:30  | Black Brant IX  |  | White Sands LC-36  | NASA
USC-7 |  | Suborbital  | Solar | 7 November | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)
8 November
20:01:00  | Proton-M/Briz-M  |  | Baikonur Site 200/39  | International Launch Services
Badr-4 (ARABSAT 4B)  | ARABSAT  | Geosynchronous  | Communications | In orbit | Operational
9 November
08:51  | M51 |  | Biscarosse | French Navy
| French Navy  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 9 November | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
9 November
11:35  | UR-100NU  |  | Baikonur Site 175/2 | RVSN
| RVSN  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 9 November | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
16 November | Terrier-Orion  |  | PMRF  | US Navy
ARAV-B | US Navy  | Suborbital  | Target | 16 November | Successful
Apogee: 150 kilometres (93 mi)
16 November | Ghauri |  | Tilla | Army of Pakistan
Haft-5 | Army of Pakistan  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 16 November | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
17 November
19:12:00  | Delta II 7925  |  | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A  | Boeing IDS
USA-192 (GPS IIR-16/M3)  | US Air Force  | Medium Earth  | Navigation | In orbit | Operational
21 November
02:00  | Black Brant IX  |  | White Sands LC-36  | NASA
CyXESS |  | Suborbital  | XR Astronomy | 21 November | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)
21 November | UGM-133 Trident II (D5)  |  | USS Maryland, ETR | US Navy
| US Navy  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 21 November | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
21 November | UGM-133 Trident II (D5)  |  | USS Maryland, ETR  | US Navy
| US Navy  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 21 November | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
26 November | Prithvi |  | Integrated Test Range LC-3 | DRDO
| DRDO  | Suborbital  | Missile test | 26 November | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
27 November
04:45  | Prithvi  |  | Integrated Test Range LC-3  | DRDO
| DRDO  | Suborbital  | Target | 27 November | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi), intercepted by another Prithvi
27 November
04:46  | Prithvi  |  | Integrated Test Range LC-4  | DRDO
| DRDO  | Suborbital  | ABM test | 27 November | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi), intercepted another Prithvi
29 November | Shaheen-I |  | Sonmiani  | Army of Pakistan
Haft-4 | Army of Pakistan  | Suborbital  | Target | 29 November | Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)

### December[edit]

7 December |  Aries |  |  PMRF |  U.S. Navy
FTM-11 Target  | U.S. Navy / MDA | Suborbital  | Target | 7 December | Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), AEGIS target
8 December
00:53  |  Long March 3A | 3A-Y11  |  Xichang LC-2  |  CASC
Fengyun 2D | CMA | Geosynchronous | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational
8 December
22:08  |  Ariane 5 ECA  |  |  Kourou ELA-3 |  Arianespace
WildBlue 1 | WildBlue | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational
AMC-18 | SES Americom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational
10 December
01:47:35  |  Space Shuttle Discovery |  |  Kennedy LC-39B |  United Space Alliance
STS-116 | NASA | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS assembly | 22 December
22:32 | Successful
Spacehab LSM | NASA | Low Earth (STS)  | Logistics | Successful
ITS P5 Truss | NASA  | Low Earth (ISS)  | ISS component | In orbit | Operational
ANDE-MAA | US Naval Academy | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 9 February 2007 | Partial spacecraft failure
ANDE-FACL | US Naval Academy | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 9 February 2007 | Successful
RAFT1 | US Naval Academy | Low Earth | Calibration | In orbit | Operational
MARScom (NMARS)  | US Naval Academy | Low Earth | Calibration | In orbit | Operational
MEPSI-2 | DARPA | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 8 March 2007 | Successful
Crewed orbital flight with 7 astronauts, including the first Swedish space traveller; ISS crew exchange.
ANDE-MAA failed to deploy after becoming stuck in launch canister, but still transmitted data; RAFT1, MARScom, and MEPSI-2 were cubesats.
11 December
23:28:43  |  Proton-M / Briz-M |  |  Baikonur Site 200/39 |  International Launch Services
MEASAT-3 | MEASAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational
14 December
21:00:00  |  Delta II 7920-10  |  |  Vandenberg SLC-2W |  United Launch Alliance
USA-193 | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance
Technology demonstration | 21 February 2008
03:29 | Spacecraft failure
NRO Launch 21, first launch to be conducted by United Launch Alliance. Satellite failed to contact ground, destroyed by SM-3 ASAT on 21 February 2008.
16 December
12:00:00  |  Minotaur I |  |  MARS LP-0B |  Orbital Sciences
TacSat-2 | NRL | Low Earth | Optical imaging
Technology demonstration | 5 February 2011 | Successful
⚀ GeneSat-1 | NASA | Low Earth | Biological science | 4 August 2010
20:43[19] | Successful
First launch from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. Little or no imagery returned by TacSat due to political dispute. TacSat lost contact with ground in January 2008.
18 December
06:32  |  H-IIA 204  |  |  Tanegashima LA-Y1 |  JAXA
Kiku-8 (ETS-VIII)  | JAXA | Geosynchronous | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful
Maiden flight of H-IIA 204, full spacecraft antenna deployment one day late.[20]
19 December
14:00:19  |  Kosmos-3M |  |  Plesetsk Site 132/1 |  COSMOS International
SAR-Lupe 1 | Bundeswehr | Low Earth (SSO)  | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational
24 December
08:34:44  |  Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat |  |  Plesetsk Site 43/4 |  VKS
Meridian 1 (11L)  | VKS | Molniya | Communications | 6 July 2021
12:20[21][22] | Successful
24 December |  RSM-56 Bulava (R-30)  |  |  RFS Dmitriy Donskoy, Beloye More |  VMF
| VMF | Suborbital  | Missile test | 24 December | Launch failure
Apogee: 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), first stage malfunction.
25 December
20:18:12  |  Proton-K / DM-2 |  |  Baikonur Site 81/24 |  VKS
Kosmos 2424 (GLONASS-M)  | KNITs | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational
Kosmos 2425 (GLONASS-M)  | KNITs | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational
Kosmos 2426 (GLONASS-M)  | KNITs | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational
27 December
14:23:38  |  Soyuz-2.1b / Fregat |  |  Baikonur Site 31/6 |  Starsem
CoRoT | CNES | Low Earth (Polar)  | Exoplanetology
Asteroseismology | In orbit | Successful
Maiden flight of Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat.
Unknown |  UGM-133 Trident II (D5)  |  |  Submarine, WTR |  U.S. Navy
| U.S. Navy | Suborbital  | Missile test |  | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)
Unknown |  UGM-133 Trident II (D5)  |  |  Submarine, WTR |  U.S. Navy
| U.S. Navy | Suborbital  | Missile test |  | Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)

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

## Deep Space Rendezvous in 2006[edit]

Date (GMT)  | Spacecraft  | Event  | Remarks

|
|
|

15 January | Stardust | First sample return mission from comet | space capsule landing on Earth with cometary samples
15 January | Cassini | 10th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 2,042 kilometres (1,269 mi)
27 February | Cassini | 11th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,812 kilometres (1,126 mi)
10 March | Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter | Areocentric orbit injection
18 March | Cassini | 12th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,947 kilometres (1,210 mi)
11 April | Venus Express | Cytherean orbit injection
30 April | Cassini | 13th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,853 kilometres (1,151 mi)
20 May | Cassini | 14th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,879 kilometres (1,168 mi)
2 July | Cassini | 15th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,911 kilometres (1,187 mi)
22 July | Cassini | 16th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 950 kilometres (590 mi)
4 September | SMART-1 | Lunar impact
7 September | Cassini | 17th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 950 kilometres (590 mi)
23 September | Cassini | 18th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 950 kilometres (590 mi)
9 October | Cassini | 19th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 950 kilometres (590 mi)
23 October | MESSENGER | 1st flyby of Venus | Gravity assist
25 October | Cassini | 20th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 950 kilometres (590 mi)
12 December | Cassini | 21st flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 950 kilometres (590 mi)
28 December | Cassini | 22nd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,500 kilometres (930 mi)

## EVAs[edit]

Start Date/Time  | Duration  | End Time  | Spacecraft  | Crew  | Function  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|

3 February
09:55  | 5 hours
43 minutes | 16:27  | Expedition 12
ISS Pirs | William S. McArthur
Valery Tokarev | Released SuitSat-1, retrieved the Biorisk experiment, photographed a sensor for a micrometeoroid experiment, and tied off the surviving umbilical of the Mobile Transporter.[23] |
1 June
23:48  | 6 hours
31 minutes  | 2 June
06:19  | Expedition 13
ISS Pirs | Pavel Vinogradov
Jeffrey Williams | Repaired a vent for the Elektron unit, retrieved a Biorisk experiment, retrieved a contamination-monitoring device from Zvezda, and replaced a malfunctioning camera on the Mobile Base System.[24] |
8 July
13:17  | 7 hours
31 minutes  | 20:48  | STS-121
ISS Quest | /Piers Sellers
Michael E. Fossum | Installed a blade blocker in the zenith Interface Umbilical Assembly (IUA) to protect the undamaged power, data and video cable, rerouted the cable to prepare for the second EVA. Tested the combination of the Shuttle's Canadarm(SRMS) and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System as a platform for astronauts to make repairs to a damaged orbiter.[25] |
10 July
12:14  | 6 hours
47 minutes  | 19:01  | STS-121
ISS Quest | /Piers Sellers
Michael E. Fossum  | Restored the Mobile Transporter to full operation, and delivered a spare pump module for the station's cooling system.[26] |
12 July
07:11  | 6 hours
20 minutes  | 13:31  | STS-121
ISS Quest | /Piers Sellers
Michael E. Fossum  | Used an infrared camera to shoot 20 seconds of video of selected reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) panels on the shuttle wing's leading edge, and then moved to the payload bay to test a shuttle tile repair material known as NOAX on pre-damaged shuttle tiles that were flown in a test container.[27] |
3 August
14:04  | 5 hours
54 minutes  | 19:58  | Expedition 13
ISS Quest | Jeffrey Williams
Thomas Reiter | Installed the Floating Potential Measurement Unit, two MISSE containers, a controller for a thermal radiator rotary joint on the S1 truss, a starboard jumper and spool positioning device on S1, a light on the truss railway handcart, and installed and replaced a malfunctioning GPS antenna. Tested an infrared camera designed to detect damage in a shuttle's thermal protection tiles. Inspection and photography of a scratch on the Quest airlock hatch.[28] |
12 September
10:17  | 5 hours
26 minutes  | 15:43  | STS-115
ISS Quest | Joseph R. Tanner
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper | Initial installation of the P3/P4 truss. Connected power cables on the truss, released the launch restraints on the solar array blanket box, the Beta Gimbal Assembly, and the solar array wings. Configured the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, and removed two circuit interrupt devices to prepare for STS-116.[29] | Piper became the 7th American and the 8th female spacewalker.
13 September
09:05  | 7 hours
11 minutes  | 16:16  | STS-115
ISS Quest | Daniel C. Burbank
Steven MacLean | Continued installation of the P3/4 truss onto the station, and activated the SARJ.[30] |
15 September
10:00  | 6 hours
42 minutes  | 16:42  | STS-115
ISS Quest | Joseph R. Tanner
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper  | Installed a radiator onto the P3/4 truss, powered up a cooling radiator for the new solar arrays, replaced an S-Band radio antenna, and installed insulation for another antenna. Tanner took photos of the shuttle's wings using an infrared camera.[31] |
22 November
23:17  | 5 hours
38 minutes  | 23 November
04:55  | Expedition 14
ISS Pirs | Mikhail Tyurin
Michael Lopez-Alegria | "Orbiting golf shot" event sponsored by a Canadian golf company. Lopez-Alegria put the tee on the ladder outside Pirs, while Tyurin set up a camera, and then performed the golf shot. Inspected and photographed a Kurs antenna, relocated an ATV WAL antenna, installed a BTN neutron experiment, and jettisoned two thermal covers from the BTN.[32] |
12 December
20:31  | 6 hours
36 minutes  | 13 December
03:07  | STS-116
ISS Quest | Robert Curbeam
Christer Fuglesang | Installed the P5 Truss, and replaced a video camera on the S1 truss.[33] |
14 December
19:41  | 5 hours  | 15 December
00:41  | STS-116
ISS Quest | Robert Curbeam
Christer Fuglesang  | Reconfigured channels 2–3 on the P3/P4 truss to take advantage of the new solar arrays, relocated two handcarts that run along the station's main truss, put a thermal cover on the station's robotic arm, and installed bags of tools for future spacewalkers.[34] |
16 December
19:25  | 7 hours
31 minutes  | 17 December
02:57  | STS-116
ISS Quest | Robert Curbeam
Sunita Williams | Reconfigured channels 1 and 4 on the P3/P4 truss to take advantage of the new solar arrays, installed a robotic arm grapple fixture, and positioned three bundles ofdebris shield panels outside Zvezda. Additional time was spent trying to help retract the P6 solar array panel by shaking the panel's blanket box from its base.[35] | Williams became the 8th American and the 9th female spacewalker.
18 December
19:00  | 6 hours
38 minutes  | 19 December
01:38  | STS-116
ISS Quest | Robert Curbeam
Christer Fuglesang  | Assisted ground controllers with retracting the P6 solar array panels.[36] |

## Orbital launch summary[edit]

### By country[edit]

Country  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial
failures  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|

|  China | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
|  Europe | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
|  India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|  Japan | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
|  North Korea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Disputed
|  Russia | 22 | 21 | 1 | 0 |
|  Ukraine | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
|  United States | 18 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
World | 67 | 62 | 5 | 0 |

### By rocket[edit]

Ariane

Atlas

Delta

H-II

Long March

Minotaur

R-7

R-36

Space Shuttle

Universal Rocket

Zenit

Others

* Ariane 5
* Atlas V
* Delta II
* Delta IV
* Delta IV Heavy
* H-IIA
* Long March 2
* Long March 3
* Long March 4
* Minotaur I
* M-V
* Molniya-M
* Soyuz-U
* Soyuz-FG
* Soyuz-2
* Dnepr
* Tsyklon-2
* Space Shuttle
* Proton-K
* Proton-M
* Rokot
* Zenit-3SL
* Others

#### By family[edit]

Rocket  | Country  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial failures  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|

Ariane |  Europe | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Atlas |  United States | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Delta |  United States | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
Falcon |  United States | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight
GSLV |  India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
H-II |  Japan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Long March |  China | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Minotaur |  United States | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Mu |  Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight
Pegasus |  United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
R-7 |  Russia | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
R-14 |  Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
R-29 |  Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
R-36 |  Ukraine | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Space Shuttle |  United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Topol |  Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Unha |  North Korea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, disputed
Universal Rocket |  Russia | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
Zenit |  Ukraine | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |

#### By type[edit]

Rocket  | Country  | Family  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial failures  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Ariane 5 |  Europe | Ariane | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Atlas V |  United States | Atlas | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Delta II |  United States | Delta | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Delta IV |  United States | Delta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Dnepr |  Ukraine | R-36 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Falcon 1 |  United States | Falcon | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight
GSLV |  India | GSLV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
H-IIA |  Japan | H-II | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Kosmos |  Russia | R-12/R-14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 2 |  China | Long March | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 3 |  China | Long March | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 4 |  China | Long March | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
M-V |  Japan | Mu | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight
Minotaur I |  United States | Minotaur | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Molniya |  Russia | R-7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Pegasus |  United States | Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Proton |  Russia | Universal Rocket | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Shtil' |  Russia | R-29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Soyuz |  Russia | R-7 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Soyuz-2 |  Russia | R-7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Space Shuttle |  United States | Space Shuttle | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Start-1 |  Russia | Topol | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Tsyklon |  Ukraine | R-36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Unha |  North Korea | Unha | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, disputed
UR-100 |  Russia | Universal Rocket | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Zenit |  Ukraine | Zenit | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |

#### By configuration[edit]

Rocket  | Country  | Type  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial failures  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Ariane 5 ECA |  Europe | Ariane 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Atlas V 411 |  United States | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight
Atlas V 551 |  United States | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight
Delta II 7420 |  United States | Delta II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Delta II 7920 |  United States | Delta II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Delta II 7925 |  United States | Delta II | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Delta IV M |  United States | Delta IV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight
Delta IV M+ (4,2) |  United States | Delta IV | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Dnepr |  Ukraine | Dnepr | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Falcon 1 |  United States | Falcon 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight
GSLV Mk I |  India | GSLV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
H-IIA 202 |  Japan | H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
H-IIA 204 |  Japan | H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight
H-IIA 2022 |  Japan | H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
H-IIA 2024 |  Japan | H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Kosmos-3M |  Russia | Kosmos | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 2C |  China | Long March 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 3A |  China | Long March 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 3B |  China | Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 4B |  China | Long March 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Long March 4B-II |  China | Long March 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, later Long March 4C
M-V |  Japan | M-V | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Final flight
Minotaur I |  United States | Minotaur I | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Molniya-M / 2BL |  Russia | Molniya | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Pegasus-XL |  United States | Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Proton-K / DM-2 |  Russia | Proton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Proton-K / DM-3 |  Russia | Proton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Proton-M / Briz-M |  Russia | Proton | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Rokot / Briz-KM |  Russia | UR-100 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Shtil' |  Russia | Shtil' | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat |  Russia | Soyuz-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight, first orbital launch of Soyuz-2
Soyuz-2.1b / Fregat |  Russia | Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight of Soyuz-2.1b
Soyuz-FG |  Russia | Soyuz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Soyuz-U |  Russia | Soyuz | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Space Shuttle |  United States | Space Shuttle | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Start-1 |  Russia | Start-1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Tsyklon-2 |  Ukraine | Tsyklon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight
Unha |  North Korea | Unha | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight, disputed
Zenit-3SL |  Ukraine | Zenit | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |

### By launch site[edit]

China

France

India

International waters

Japan

Kazakhstan

Marshall Islands

North Korea

Russia

United States

* Jiuquan
* Taiyuan
* Xichang
* Kourou
* Satish Dhawan
* Ocean Odyssey
* Tanegashima
* Uchinoura
* Baikonur
* Kwajalein
* Tonghae
* Barents Sea
* Dombarovsky
* Plesetsk
* Svobodny
* Cape Canaveral
* Kennedy
* MARS
* Vandenberg

Site  | Country  | Launches  | Successes  | Failures  | Partial failures  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|
|

Baikonur |  Kazakhstan | 17 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
Barents |  Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Launched from Ekaterinburg submarine
Cape Canaveral |  United States | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Dombarovsky |  Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | First launch
Jiuquan |  China | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Kennedy |  United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Kwajalein |  Marshall Islands | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Kourou |  France | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
MARS |  United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | First launch
Ocean Odyssey |  International | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Plesetsk |  Russia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Satish Dhawan |  India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Svobodny |  Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final launch
Taiyuan |  China | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Tanegashima |  Japan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Tonghae |  North Korea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Uchinoura |  Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Vandenberg |  United States | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | One launch used Stargazer aircraft
Xichang |  China | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 67 | 62 | 5 | 0 |

### By orbit[edit]

Transatmospheric

Low Earth

Medium Earth

Geosynchronous / transfer

High Earth

Heliocentric

Solar escape

* Transatmospheric
* Low Earth
* Low Earth (ISS)
* Low Earth (SSO)
* Low Earth (retrograde)
* Medium Earth
* Geosychronous
(transfer)
* Inclined GSO
* High Earth
* Heliocentric
* Solar escape

Orbital regime  | Launches  | Successes | Failures  | Accidentally
achieved  | Remarks

|
|
|
|
|

Transatmospheric | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Low Earth | 35 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 8 to ISS
Medium Earth / Molniya | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Geosynchronous / GTO | 24 | 22 | 2 | 0 |
High Earth / Lunar transfer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Heliocentric / Planetary transfer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Solar escape | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 67 | 62 | 5 | 1 |

## References[edit]

* Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
* Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
* Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.[dead link]
* Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
* Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
* McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
* Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
* Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
* Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
* Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
* "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
* "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
* "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[dead link]
* "Space Information Center". JAXA.[dead link]
* "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).

Generic references:

* view
* talk
* edit

Spaceflight portal

### Footnotes[edit]

1. ^ ArabSat-4A was catalogued but re-entered after a few weeks in wrong orbit

1. ^ "Press Release of the "Sounding Rocket V" Experiment". NSPO. 18 January 2006. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
2. ^ "55 bil. yen JAXA map-making satellite sends useless data". Yomiuri Online. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
3. ^ "Utilization of Data Acquired by "DAICHI" (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) for Maps" (Press release). JAXA. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
4. ^ JAXA. "平成１７年度 ロケット打上げ及び追跡管制計画書 陸域観測技術衛星（ＡＬＯＳ） Ｈ－IIＡロケット８号機（Ｈ－IIＡ・Ｆ８）" (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. p. 1\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
5. ^ "Rocket System Corporation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
6. ^ 平成１７年度 ロケット受託打上げ及び追跡管制支援計画書 運輸多目的衛星新２号（ＭＴＳＡＴ－２） Ｈ－IIＡロケット９号機（Ｈ－IIＡ・Ｆ９） (PDF) (in Japanese). JAXA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
7. ^ Joseph Remis [@jremis] (11 April 2023). "Actual decay 04h44mn 26°N 49°W" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
8. ^ Cute-1.7 + APD II Project - Cute1.7 + APD 大気圏再突入 - (in Japanese). Laboratory for Space Systems, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
9. ^ Oberg, James (24 March 2006). "ArabSat bites the dust, dashing hopes". NBC News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
10. ^ Erwin, Sandra (8 September 2020). "NOAA's former satellite now providing weather data to the U.S. military". SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
11. ^ "COMPASS". Russian Space Web. 28 December 2006. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
12. ^ "Thaicom 5 Satellite Ends Service". Thaicom. 27 February 2020. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
13. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "US-PM". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
14. ^ David, Leonard (18 June 2006). "North Korea's Missile Launch Site Under Watchful Eyes". Space.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
15. ^ Shinya Matsuura (4 April 2009). "杞憂のような事態に備える：松浦晋也のL/D" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
16. ^ "Reentry History Spreadsheet". The Aerospace Corporation. 5 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2021.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
17. ^ "M-V-7号機により打ち上げた副衛星（SSSAT）の実験結果について". ISAS (in Japanese). JAXA. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
18. ^ "LDREX". Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
19. ^ "GeneSat". The Aerospace Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
20. ^ "Deployment Result of the Large Deployable Antenna Reflectors of the Engineering Test Satellite VIII "KIKU No. 8"". Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 26 December 2006. Archived from the original on 2 January 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2007.
21. ^ McDowell, Jonathan [@planet4589] (7 July 2021). "Russia's Meridian 11L military communications satellite, launched in 2006, reentered around 1220 UTC Jul 6, probably near the Falkland Is. Final orbit perigee height was around 80 km" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 July 2021 - via Twitter.
22. ^ "MERIDIAN 1". N2YO.com. 6 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
23. ^ NASA (2006). "Crew Back in Station After Spacewalk". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
24. ^ NASA (2006). "Station Crew Winds Up Successful Spacewalk". NASA. Archived from the original on 6 November 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
25. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-121 MCC Status Report No. 09". NASA. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
26. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-121 MCC Status Report #13". NASA. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
27. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-121 MCC Status Report #17". NASA. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
28. ^ NASA (2006). "Station Crewmen Back Inside After Spacewalk". NASA. Archived from the original on 6 November 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
29. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-115 MCC Status Report No. 07". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
30. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-115 MCC Status Report #09". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
31. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-115 MCC Status Report #13". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
32. ^ NASA (2006). "Spacewalkers Tee Off on Science, Mechanics". NASA. Archived from the original on 24 September 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
33. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-116 MCC Status Report No. 07". NASA. Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
34. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-116 MCC Status Report #11". NASA. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
35. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-116 MCC Status Report #15". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
36. ^ NASA (2006). "STS-116 MCC Status Report #19". NASA. Archived from the original on 20 October 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2008.

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Timeline of spaceflight

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* Future

* v
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← 2005

Orbital launches in 2006

2007 →

January|

* New Horizons
* Daichi

February|

* EchoStar X
* MTSAT-2
* Akari, CUTE-1.7 + APD
* Arabsat-4A

March|

* Spainsat, Hot Bird 7A
* ST-5
* FalconSAT-2
* Soyuz TMA-8

April|

* JCSAT-5A
* COSMIC
* Astra 1KR
* Progress M-56
* EROS-B
* Yaogan 1
* CALIPSO, CloudSat

May|

* Kosmos 2420
* GOES 13 / EWS-G1
* Satmex 6, Thaicom 5

June|

* Resurs-DK No.1
* KazSat-1
* Galaxy 16
* USA-187, USA-188, USA-189
* Progress M-57
* Kosmos 2421
* USA-184

July|

* STS-121 (MPLM)
* INSAT-4C
* Genesis I
* Kosmos 2422
* BelKA, Baumanets, PicPot, SACRED, ION, Rincon 1, ICECube-1, KUTESat Pathfinder, SEEDS, nCube, HAUSAT-1, MEROPE, CP-2, AeroCube-1, CP-1, Mea Huaka'i, ICECube-2
* Arirang-2

August|

* Hot Bird 8
* JCSAT-3A, Syracuse 3B
* Koreasat 5

September|

* Shijian 8
* STS-115 (ITS P3/4)
* IGS-3A
* Chinasat-22A
* Kosmos 2423
* Soyuz TMA-9
* Hinode, HIT-SAT, SSSAT
* USA-190

October|

* DirecTV-9S, Optus D1, LDREX
* MetOp-A
* Progress M-58
* Shijian 6C, Shijian 6D
* STEREO
* Sinosat-2
* XM-4

November|

* USA-191
* Badr-4
* USA-192

December|

* Fengyun 2-05
* WildBlue 1, AMC-18
* STS-116 (ITS P5, SpaceHab LSM, ANDE-MAA, ANDE-FACL, RAFT1, MARScom, MEPSI-2)
* MEASAT-3
* USA-193
* TacSat-2, GeneSat
* Kiku 8
* SAR-Lupe 1
* Meridian 1
* Kosmos 2424, Kosmos 2425, Kosmos 2426
* CoRoT

Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ).
Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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*[⚀]: CubeSat