1974 in spaceflight

First spacecraft to fly by Mercury

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On March 29, 1974 Mariner 10 became the first spacecraft to fly by Mercury, that saw a spacecraft for the first and last time in the 20th century.


Launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January

5 January
01:45[1] 		United StatesAerobee 200A United StatesWhite Sands NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Aeronomy/Ultraviolet astronomy 5 January 1974 Successful
8 January
01:40[2] 		United StatesAerobee 200A United StatesWhite Sands NASA
NASA/NRL Sub-orbital Aeronomy/Ultraviolet astronomy 8 January 1974 Successful
12 January
19:12[3] 		United KingdomSkylark El Arenosillo NASA
Germany H-GR-58 DFVLR Sub-orbital Astronomy 12 Jan 1974 Successful
11 January
22:00[4] 		Soviet Union R-36 Soviet Union Baikonur (LC-162/36) RVSN
Soviet Union Dkh RVSN Sub-orbital ICBM test 12 January 1974 Successful
15 January
20:00[5] 		United States Black Brant VC United States White Sands (LC-36) NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Solar research 15 January 1974 Successful
16 January
02:00[6] 		Japan Kappa 9M Japan Kagoshima (LC-36) ISAS
ISAS Sub-orbital Ionosphere & Solar research 16 January 1974 Successful
16 January
17:40[2] 		United States Nike Apache United States Wallops Island NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Aeronomy 16 January 1974 Successful
16 January
18:13[7] 		United States Super Arcas United States Wallops Island NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Ionosphere research 16 January 1974 Successful
16 January[2]
01:40 		United States Aerobee 200A United States White Sands NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Solar research 16 January 1974 Successful
17 January
02:37[2] 		United States Nike Tomahawk United States Poker Flat NASA
NASA/NRL Sub-orbital Plasma research 17 January 1974 Successful
17 January
10:07[8] 		Soviet Union Kosmos 3M Soviet Union Plesetsk (LC-132/2) VKS
Soviet UnionKosmos 628 (Tsiklon) MOM LEO Navigation In orbit Successful
19 January
01:39[9] 		United States Delta 2313 United States CCAFS (LC-17B) UK Ministry of Defence
United StatesSkynet 2A UK MOD Intended: GEO Achieved: LEO Comms 25 January 1974 Failure
Placed in incorrect orbit due to carrier rocket malfunction
19 January
11:34 		United Kingdom Skua Spain El Arenosillo RAE
RAE Sub-orbital Ionosphere research 19 January 1974 Success
19 January Soviet Union R-36M Soviet Union LC-103, Baikonur RVSN
POR RVSN Sub-orbital ICBM Test 20 January 1974 Success
21 January
02:39 		United States Nike Tomahawk United States Poker Flat NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Plasma research 21 January 1974 Success
21 January
11:30 		United KingdomSkua4 SpainEl Arenosillo RAE
RAE Sub-orbital Ionosphere research 21 January 1974 Success
22 January
02:41 		United States Nike Tomahawk United States Poker Flat NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Plasma research 22 January 1974 Success
22 January
11:00 		Japan Lambda 3H Japan Area 3L, Kagoshima ISAS
ISAS Sub-orbital X-ray astronomy 22 January 1974 Success
22 January
01:40 		United States Aerobee 200A United States White Sands NASA
NASA/NRL Sub-orbital Solar research 22 January 1974 Successful
22 January
01:40 		United States Minuteman I United States LF-06, Vandenberg AFB USAF
USAF Sub-orbital ICBM test 22 January 1974 Successful
23 January
11:30 		United Kingdom Skua Spain El Arenosillo RAE
RAE Sub-orbital Ionosphere research 23 January 1974 Success
23 January
12:50 		Canada Black Brant VB Canada Churchill NRC
NRC Sub-orbital Aeronomy/Ionosphere/Aurora research 23 January 1974 Success
24 January
15:00 		Soviet Union Voskhod Soviet Union Plesetsk MOM
Soviet UnionKosmos 629 (Zenit-2M) MOM LEO Recon 5 February 1974 Success
25 January
11:30 		United Kingdom Skua Spain El Arenosillo RAE
RAE Sub-orbital Ionosphere research 25 January 1974 Success
25 January Soviet Union UR-100N Soviet Union Baikonur Cosmodrome RVSN
RVSN Sub-orbital ICBM test 25 January 1974 Success
26 January United States Minuteman III United States LF-25, Vandenberg AFB USAF
GT-24GB-1 USAF Sub-orbital ICBM test 26 January 1974 Success
26 January Soviet Union UR-100N Soviet Union Baikonur Cosmodrome RVSN
GT-24GB-1 RVSN Sub-orbital ICBM test 26 January 1974 Success
27 January
19:08 		United States Nike Tomahawk Norway Andøya NASA
Ferdinand 35 (Polar 3) NDRE Sub-orbital Aurora research 27 January 1974 Success
30 January
11:00 		Soviet Union Voskhod Soviet Union Plesetsk MOM
Soviet UnionKosmos 630 (Zenit-4MK) MOM LEO Aurora research 13 February 1974 Success
30 January United States SSBS France BLB, Biscarosse DMA
DMA Sub-orbital Aurora research 30 January 1974 Success

February

1 February
06:30 		Japan JCR Japan Area T, Tanegashima NADSA
JapanKosmos 547 (Zenit 2M) NASDA Sub-orbital Test flight 1 February 1974 Successful
4 February
14:40 		United Kingdom Skylark 6AC Australia LA-2SL, Woomera BAC
BAC Sub-orbital Astronomy 4 February 1974 Successful
4 February Soviet Union MR-UR-100 Soviet Union LC-177, Baikonur RVSN
RVSN Sub-orbital ICBM test 4 February 1974 Successful
6 February
00:34 		Soviet Union Kosmos-3M Soviet Union LC-132/2, Plesetsk VKS
Soviet Union Kosmos 631 (Tselina-O) VKS LEO ELINT 3 October 1980 Successful
6 February
22:48 		Canada Black Brant IVB Norway Andoya DLR
DLR Sub-orbital Aurora research (DLR A-BB4-63 Auroral mission) 6 February 1974 Successful
6 February United States Polaris A3 United States Submarine, WTR US Navy
US Navy Sub-orbital SLBM test 6 February 1974 Successful
6 February United States Polaris A3 United States Submarine, WTR US Navy
US Navy Sub-orbital SLBM test 6 February 1974 Successful
9 February
02:10 		United States Aerobee 200A United States White Sands NASA
NASA Sub-orbital Astronomy 9 February 1974 Successful
9 February
06:30 		Japan LS-C Japan Area T, Tanegashima NASDA
NASDA Sub-orbital Test flight 9 February 1974 Successful
11 February
13:48 		United States Titan IIIE/Centaur United States LC-41, CCAFS NASA
Boilerplate NASA Intended: GSO Test carrier rocket 12 February 1974 Failure
United States Sphinx NASA Intended: GSO Plasma research 12 February 1974 Failure
Upper stage turbopump malfunction
18 February United States Scout D-1 Italy San Marco mobile range, Kenya Italy CRS
ItalyUnited States San Marco 4 CRS / NASA Low Earth Atmospheric In orbit Successful


March

April

May

June

July

3 July Soviet Union Soyuz (11A511) Soviet UnionLC-1/5, Baikonur
Soviet Union Soyuz 14 LEO, docked to Salyut 3 Crewed orbital flight 19 July 1974 Successful
16 July United States Scout United States Western Space and Missile Center at Vandenberg AFB NASA
United States Aeros 2 NASA  

August

28 August
10:08 		Soviet Union Soyuz (11A511) Soviet Union LC-1/5, Baikonur
Soviet Union Soyuz 15 LEO Plan: Dock to Salyut 3 Crewed orbital flight 28 August 1974 Failure
Failed to dock with Salyut 3

September

October

15 October
07:47 		United States Scout B-1 Italy San Marco mobile range, Kenya Italy CRS
United KingdomUnited States Ariel 5 SERC / NASA Low Earth X-ray astronomy 14 March 1980 Successful

November

December

2 December
15:00 		Soviet Union Soyuz-U (11A511U) Soviet Union LC-1/5, Baikonur
Soviet Union Soyuz 16 LEO Crewed orbital flight 8 December 1974 Successful
First successful crewed use of Soyuz-U launch vehicle
10 December
07:11:01 		United StatesTitan IIIE/Star-37 United StatesCape Canaveral SLC-41 United StatesNASA
United StatesGermanyHelios-A NASA / DFVLR Heliocentric Solar probe In orbit Successful
Achieved a closest approach to the Sun of 46.5 million km (0.31 AU) in February 1975, the closest approach achieved by an artificial satellite at that point; it was succeeded later by Helios-B.

Deep Space Rendezvous

Date (GMT) Spacecraft Event Remarks
5 February Mariner 10 Flyby of Venus Gravity assist; Closest approach: 5,768 kilometres (3,584 mi)
10 February Mars 4 Flyby of Mars Closest approach: 2,200 kilometres (1,400 mi) (orbiter mission)
12 February Mars 5 Areocentric orbit injection
9 March Mars 7 Lander missed mars by 1,300 kilometres (810 mi)
12 March Mars 6 Lander lost a few seconds before anticipated landing
29 March Mariner 10 1st flyby of Mercury Closest approach: 703 kilometres (437 mi)
2 June Luna 22 Selenocentric orbit injection Photographic mission
21 September Mariner 10 2nd flyby of Mercury Closest approach: 48,069 kilometres (29,869 mi)
2 November Luna 23 Landed rough at Mare Crisium, the Moon Sample return mission
3 December Pioneer 11 Flyby of Jupiter Gravity assist; Closest approach: 42,960 kilometres (26,690 mi)

EVAs

Start Date/Time Duration End Time Spacecraft Crew Remarks
3 February
15:19 		5 hours
19 minutes 		20:38 Skylab
SLM-3 		United StatesGerald P. Carr
United StatesEdward Gibson 		Retrieved the final film from the solar observatory and photographed Kohoutek using an electronographic camera.

References

  • 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:
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 Spaceflight portal

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Scientits See Comet From Plane". The Daily Mail. Baltimore. Associated Press. 5 January 1974. Retrieved 4 April 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: Nike". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  3. ^ McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: Raven". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  4. ^ McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: R-36". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  5. ^ McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: BB5". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  6. ^ McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: K420". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  7. ^ McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: Arcas". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  8. ^ McDowell, Jonathan C. "Launch list by family: R-14". GCAT: General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  9. ^ "British Satellite Launched". The News-Press. Associated Press. 19 January 1974. Retrieved 4 April 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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Orbital launches in 1974
  • Kosmos 628
  • Skynet 2A
  • Kosmos 629
  • Kosmos 630
  • Kosmos 631
  • Sphinx
  • VDS
  • Kosmos 632
  • OPS 6889
  • Tansei 2
  • San Marco 4
  • Kosmos 633
  • Meteor-M No.30
  • Kosmos 634
  • Miranda
  • Kosmos 635
  • Nauka-17KS No.1L
  • OPS 8579
  • Kosmos 636
  • Kosmos 637
  • Kosmos 638
  • Kosmos 639
  • OPS 6245
  • OPS 4547
  • OPS 3935
  • Kosmos 640
  • Unnamed
  • Westar 1
  • Molniya-1-27
  • Kosmos 641
  • Kosmos 642
  • Kosmos 643
  • Kosmos 644
  • Kosmos 645
  • Kosmos 646
  • Kosmos 647
  • Kosmos 648
  • Meteor-M No.22
  • Molniya-2-9
  • Kosmos 649
  • Kosmos 650
  • Kosmos 651
  • Kosmos 652
  • Kosmos 653
  • Kosmos 654
  • SMS-1
  • Interkosmos 11
  • Kosmos 655
  • Yantar-2K No.1
  • Kosmos 656
  • Luna 22
  • Kosmos 657
  • ATS-6
  • Explorer 52
  • Kosmos 658
  • OPS 1776
  • Kosmos 659
  • Kosmos 660
  • Kosmos 661
  • Salyut 3
  • Kosmos 662
  • Kosmos 663
  • Kosmos 664
  • Kosmos 665
  • Soyuz 14
  • Meteor-Priroda No.1
  • DS-P1-Yu No.68
  • Kosmos 666
  • Unnamed
  • OPS 7518
  • Aeros 2
  • Molniya-2-10
  • Kosmos 667
  • Kosmos 668
  • Kosmos 669
  • Nauka-8KS No.3
  • Molniya-1 No.38
  • Kosmos 670
  • Kosmos 671
  • OPS 6983
  • Kosmos 672
  • OPS 3004
  • Kosmos 673
  • Soyuz 15
  • Kosmos 674
  • Kosmos 675
  • Unnamed
  • ANS
  • Kosmos 676
  • Kosmos 677
  • Kosmos 678
  • Kosmos 679
  • Kosmos 680
  • Kosmos 681
  • Kosmos 682
  • Kosmos 683
  • Kosmos 684
  • Kosmos 685
  • Kosmos 686
  • Westar 2
  • Kosmos 687
  • Ariel 5
  • Kosmos 688
  • Kosmos 689
  • Kosmos 690
  • Molniya-1 No.26
  • Kosmos 691
  • Meteor-M No.33
  • Luna 23
  • OPS 7122
  • OPS 6239
  • OPS 8452
  • Interkosmos 12
  • Kosmos 692
  • Kosmos 693
  • Fanhui Shi Weixing 1
  • NOAA-4
  • OSCAR-7
  • INTASAT
  • Kosmos 694
  • Kosmos 695
  • Molniya-3 No.11
  • Intelsat IV F-8
  • Skynet 2B
  • Kosmos 696
  • Soyuz 16
  • Helios 1
  • Kosmos 697
  • Meteor-M No.32
  • Kosmos 698
  • Symphonie 1
  • Molniya-2-11
  • Kosmos 699
  • Salyut 4
  • Kosmos 700
  • Kosmos 701
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).