References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

start-1899	1900-1949	1950-1964	1965-1969	1970-1974	1975-1979	1980-1984	1985-1989	1990-1994	1995-1999
2000-end

1970 January 23 US launches second generation weather satellite, ITOS 1. [1] February 11 Japan becomes fourth nation to put a satellite (Osumi) in orbit. [1] February 19 USSR launches Sputnik 52 and Molniya 1-13 communications satellite. [1] April 11 Apollo 13 launched to Moon; unable to land, returns in six days. [1] April 13 Apollo 13 announces "Houston, we've got a problem!" as Beech-built oxygen tank explodes en route to Moon. [1] April 17 Apollo 13 limps back safely to Earth, Beech-built oxygen tank no help. [1] April 24 People's Rebublic of China launches its first satellite transmitting song "East is Red". [1] June 1 Soyuz 9 launched into Earth orbit for 18 days. [1] June 19 A Nikolayev and V Sevastyanov return after 18 days in Soyuz 9. [1] June 30 T Smirnova discovers asteroid #2139 Makharadze. [1] July 3 L Chernykh discovers asteroid #3702. [1] July 30 Smirnova discover asteroid 1835 Gajdariya, 2032 Ethel and 2349 Kurchenko. [1] August 17 Venera 7 is launched by USSR for soft landing on Venus. This is the first spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of another planet. [1] [5] September 12 USSR launches Luna 16; returns samples from lunar Sea of Fertility. [1] September 20 Luna 16 lands on Moon's Mare Fecunditatis, drills core sample. [1] September 21 Luna 16 leaves the Moon. [1] September 24 First automated return of lunar sample by Luna 16. [1] October 28 US/USSR sign an agreement to discuss joint space efforts. [1] November 10 Luna 17, with unmanned self-propelled Lunokhod 1, is launched. [1] November 17 Russia lands Lunokhod 1 unmanned remote-controlled vehicle on Moon. [1] December 12 Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 42 launched to study X-rays. [1] December 15 Soviet Venera 7 is first spacecraft to land on another planet (Venus). [1] 1971 January 31 Apollo 14 launched, first landing in lunar highlands. [1] February 5 Apollo 14, third US manned Moon expedition, lands near Fra Mauro; Alan Shepard and Edward Mitchell walk on Moon for four hours. [1] [5] February 6 First time a golf ball is hit on the Moon (by Alan Shepard). [1] February 9 Apollo 14 returns to Earth. [1] April 1 US/Canada ISIS 2 launched to study ionosphere. [1] April 19 USSR Salyut 1 launched; first manned lab in orbit. [1] April 23 Soyuz 10 launched; soft docks with Salyut 1. [1] April 24 Soyuz 10 returns to Earth. [1] April 29 Boeing receives contract for Mariner 10, Mercury exploration. [1] May 19 USSR launches Mars 2, first spacecraft to crash land on Mars. [1] May 28 USSR Mars 3 launched, first spacecraft to soft land on Mars. [1] May 30 US Mariner 9 launched (first satellite to orbit Mars). [1] [5] June 1 Perth Observatory discovers asteroid #2167 Erin. [1] June 6 Soyuz 11 takes three cosmonauts to Salyut 1 space station. [1] [5] June 7 Soviet Soyuz 11 crew completes first transfer to orbiting Salyut. [1] June 12 T Smirnova discovers asteroid #2216 Kerch. [1] June 13 Perth Observatory discovers asteroids #1806 Derice and #1978 Patrice. [1] June 17 C U Cesco discovers asteroid #2399 Terradas. [1] June 28 T Smirnova discovers asteroid #3093. [1] June 29 Soyuz 11 docks with Salyut 1 for 22 days. [1] June 30 Three cosmonauts die as Soyuz XI depressurizes during reentry. [1] July 19 B Burnasheva discovers asteroid #2259 Sofievka. [1] July 26 Apollo 15 launched to the Moon. [1] N Chernykh discovers asteroid #1836 Komarov. [1] July 30 US Apollo 15 lands on Mare Imbrium on the Moon. [1] July 31 Apollo 15 astronauts first ride in a lunar rover. [5] August 4 US launches first satellite into lunar orbit from manned spacecraft. [1] August 7 Apollo 15 returns to Earth. [1] August 31 Dave Scott becomes first person to drive a car on the Moon. [1] October 28 England becomes sixth nation to have a satellite (Prospero) in orbit. [1] November 13 The American space probe Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, swinging into its planned trajectory around Mars without a hitch. [1] [5] November 27 Soviet Mars 2 becomes first spacecraft to crash land on Mars. [1] [5] December 2 Soviet Mars 3 is first to soft land on Mars. [1] December 19 NASA launches Intelsat 4 F-3 for COMSAT Corp. [1] 1972 January 2 Mariner 9 begins mapping Mars. [1] January 5 US President Richard Nixon signs a bill for NASA to begin research on manned shuttle. [1] January 31 US launches HEOS A-2 for interplanetary observations (396/244,998). [1] February 14 Luna 20 (Russia) launched to orbit and soft landing on Moon. [1] March 2 Pioneer 10 launched for Jupiter flyby. [1] March 15 NASA selects three-part configuration for Space Shuttle. [1] March 27 Venera 8 launched to Venus. [1] April 16 Apollo 16 launched; 5th manned lunar landing (Decartes Highlands). [1] April 20 Apollo 16'John s Young and Charles Duke land on Moon with Boeing Lunar Rover #2. [1] April 21 Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 4 (Copernicus) launched. [1] April 22 Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charles Duke explore the Moon. [1] April 27 Apollo 16 returns to Earth. [1] June 8 N Chernykh discovers asteroid #3230. [1] June 13 T Smirnova discovers asteroid #2604. [1] June 29 USSR launches Prognoz 2 into earth orbit (549/200,000 km). [1] July 13 C Torres discovers asteroid #3050 Carrera. [1] T Smirnova discovers asteroid #2112 Ulyanov. [1] July 14 L Zhuravleva discovers asteroids #1959 Karbyshev and #2423 Ibarruri. [1] July 22 Venera 8 makes soft landing on Venus. [1] July 23 First Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) is launched. [1] August 9 Rockwell receives NASA contract to construct the Space Shuttle. [1] August 21 US orbiting astronomy observatory Copernicus launched. [1] October 3 Spaceflight 71-2 launched; first flexible substrate photovoltaic flown. [1] October 12 Mariner 9 takes pictures of Martian north pole. [1] November 15 Small Astronomy Satellite Explorer 48 launched to study gamma rays. [1] December 7 Apollo 17 (US), final manned lunar landing mission (last of Apollo Moon series), is launched. [1] [5] December 11 Apollo 17 becomes the sixth American mission to land on the Moon. Astronauts Cernan and Harrison become 11th and 12th astronauts on the Moon. [1] [5] December 14 Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt leave the Moon. [1] [5] December 19 Apollo 17 (last of Apollo Moon landing series) returns to Earth. [1] 1973 January 8 USSR launches Luna 21 for Moon landing. [1] [5] January 16 USSR's Lunakhod 2 begins radio-controlled exploration of the Moon. [1] February 15 USSR launches Prognoz 3 to study sun (589/200,300 km). [1] March 7 Comet (Lubos) Kohoutek discovered at Hamburg Observatory. [1] April 6 US launches Pioneer 11 to Jupiter and Saturn. [1] April 20 Canadian ANIK A2 becomes first commercial satellite in orbit. [1] May 14 Skylab launched, the first Space Station. [1] May 25 US launches first Skylab; crew Kerwin, Conrad, Weitz. [1] June 22 Skylab 2's astronauts land. [1] June 30 Observers aboard Concorde jet observe 72-min solar eclipse. [1] July 21 USSR launches Mars 4 for fly-by (2600 km) of the red planet. [1] July 25 USSR launches Mars 5. [1] July 28 Skylab 3's astronauts (Bean, Garriott and Lousma) launched. [1] August 5 USSR launches Mars 6. [1] August 9 USSR launches Mars 7. [1] August 23 Intelsat communications satellite launched. [1] September 25 Three-man crew of Skylab II make safe splashdown in Pacific after 59 days. [1] September 27 Soyuz 12 carries two cosmonauts into Earth orbit (two days). [1] September 29 Soyuz 12 returns to Earth. [1] November 3 Mariner 10 launched; will make first Venus pictures, first mission to Mercury. [1] November 16 Skylab 4 launched into Earth orbit. [1] December 3 Pioneer 10 passes Jupiter (first fly-by of an outer planet). [1] December 18 Soyuz 13 launched into Earth orbit for 8 days. [1] December 26 Two Skylab 3 astronauts walk in space for a record 7 hours. [1] Soyuz 13 returns to Earth. [1] December 28 Comet Kohoutek at perihelion. [1] December 30 First picture of a comet from space (Comet Kohoutek-Skylab). [1] 1974 February 5 US Mariner 10 returns first close-up photos of Venus' cloud structure. [1] February 8 After 84 days in space, the crew of the first American space station Skylab return to Earth. [1] [5] February 11 Titan-Centaur test launch fails. [1] February 18 NASA launches Italian satellite San Marcos C-2 (235/843 km). [1] March 29 Mariner 10's first fly-by of Mercury, returns photos. [1] May 20 Soyuz 14 returns to Earth. [1] June 17 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroids #2997 and #3083. [1] June 20 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroid #2124 Nissen. [1] July 16 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroid #2964. [1] July 19 Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroid #3118. [1] July 25 T Smirnova discovers asteroid #2345 Fucik. [1] July 26 USSR's Soyuz fails to dock with Salyut 3. [1] August 26 Soyuz 15 carries two cosmonauts to space station Salyut 3. [1] August 28 Soyuz 15 returns to Earth. [1] September 14 Charles Kowal discovers Leda, 13th satellite of Jupiter. [1] September 21 US Mariner 10 makes second fly-by of Mercury. [1] November 16 First intentional interstellar radio message sent, Arecibo telescope towards M 41, a cluster of stars some 25,000 light years away. [1] December 2 Soyuz 16 launched into Earth orbit for six days. [1] December 8 Soyuz 16 returns to Earth. [1] December 10 Helios 1 launched by US, Germany; later makes closest flyby of Sun. [1]