Chronology of Space Exploration (1980-1984)

Chronology of Space Exploration

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

Last updated: 2023 December 20.

1980

January 17

NASA launches Fltsatcom-3. [1]
February 14

US launches Solar Maximum Mission Observatory to study solar flares. [1]
March 1

The Voyager 1 probe confirms the existence of Janus, a moon of Saturn. [120]
March 5

Earth satellites record gamma rays from remnants of supernova N-49. [1]
April 9

Soyuz 35 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6. [1]
May 26

Soyuz 36 carries two cosmonauts (one Hungarian) to Salyut 6. [1]

June 1

H Debehogne discovers asteroids #2543 Machado and #3411. [1]
June 3

Crew of Soyuz 36 returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 35. [1]
June 5

Soyuz T-2 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. [1]
June 9

Soyuz T-2 returns to Earth. [1]
June 11

E Bowell discovers asteroid #2531 Cambridge. [1]
June 14

E Bowell discovers asteroid #2937 Gibbs, #2938 Hopi and #3160 Angerhofer. [1]
June 17

C Shoemaker discovers asteroid #2586 Matson. [1]
June 18

C Shoemaker discovers asteroid #2891 McGetchin. [1]
E Bowell discovers asteroid #2569 Madeline. [1]
July 18

Rohini 1, first Indian satellite, launches into orbit. [1]
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July 23

Soyuz 37 ferries two cosmonauts (one Vietnamese) to Salyut 6. [1]
July 31

Soyuz 37 crew returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 36. [1]
September 18

Soyuz 38 carries two cosmonauts (one Cuban) to Salyut 6 space station. [1]
September 26

Soyuz 38 returns to Earth. [1]
October 1

Cosmonauts Ryumin and Popov break space endurance record of 176 days. [1]
October 11

Cosmonauts Popov and Ryumin set space endurance record of 184 days. [1]
October 30

NASA launches Flt Satcom-4. [1]
November 8

Voyager 1 space probe discovers 15th moon of Saturn. [1]
November 11

Crew of Soyuz 35 returns to Earth aboard Soyuz 37. [1]
November 12

The NASA space probe Voyager I makes its closest approach to Saturn, when it flies within 77,000 miles of the planet's cloud-tops and sends the first high resolution images of the world back to scientists on Earth. [1] [120]
November 27

Soyuz T-3 carries three cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station, launched. [1]
December 6

NASA launches Intelsat V. [1]
December 10

Soyuz T-3 returns to Earth. [1]

1981

February 21

NASA launches Comstar D-4. [1]
Japan launches Hinotori satellite to study solar flares (580/640 k). [1]
March 6

Soyuz 39 returns to Earth. [1]
March 12

Soyuz T-4 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 6 space station. [1]
March 19

Three workers are killed and five injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia. [1] [119]
March 22

Soyuz 39 carries two cosmonauts (one Mongolian) to Salyut 6. [1]
March 26

Soyuz T-4 lands. [1]
April 12

Space Shuttle Columbia (John Young, Robert Crippen) launches on the maiden Space Transit System-1 mission. [1] [119]
April 14

First Space Shuttle - Columbia 1 - returns to Earth. [1]
May 14

NASA launches space vehicle S-192. [1]
May 15

Soyuz 40 carries two cosmonauts (one Rumanian) to Salyut 6. [1]
May 22

Soyuz 40 returns to Earth. [1]
May 23

NASA launches Intelsat V. [1]
May 26

Soyuz T-4 returns to Earth. [1]
June 4

E Bowell discovers asteroids #2494 Inge, #2797 Teucer, #2870 Haupt. [1]
June 19

European Space Agency's Ariane carries two satellites into orbit. [1]
India's APPLE satellite, first to be stabilized on three axes, launched. [1]
July 2

L E Gonzalez discovers asteroid #3495 Colchagua. [1]
July 25

Voyager 2 encounters Saturn. [1]
July 26

E Bowell discovers asteroids #2845 Franklinken and #2882 Tedesco. [1]
August 6

NASA launches Fltsatcom-5, it fails. [1]
August 25

Voyager 2's closest approach to Saturn (63,000 miles/100,000 km). [1]
September 19

Satellites China 10 and 11 launched into Earth orbit by B-1 rocket. [1]
November 12

Second shuttle mission, first time a spacecraft is launched a second time (Columbia 2). [1] [119]
November 14

Second Space Shuttle Mission - Columbia 2 - returns to Earth. [1]
December 11

Spacelab I arrives at Kennedy Space Center. [1]
December 15

NASA launches Intelsat V. [1]

1982

March 4

NASA launches Intelsat V. [1]
March 5

Russian spacecraft Venera 14 lands on planet Venus, sends back data. [1] [5]
March 10

Syzygy: all nine planets align on the same side of the Sun. [1] [116]
March 22

Third Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 3 launched. [1]
March 30

Third space shuttle mission - Columbia 3 lands at White Sands New Mexico. [1]
April 19

USSR Salyut 7 space station put into orbit. [1]
April 22

Launch of STS-3-Lousma and Fullerton. [1]
May 13

Soyuz T-5 is launched; Berezovoi and Lebedev begin 211 days in space. [1]
June 24

Jean-Loup Chretien, first spacionaut, two others, lift off (Soyuz T-16). [1]
June 26

A Gilmore and P Kilmartin discover asteroid #3521. [1]
June 27

4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 launched. [1]
July 1

Kosmos 1383, first search and rescue satellite, launched. [1]
July 2

Soyuz T-6 returns to Earth. [1]
July 4

4th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 4 lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1]
July 6

Lunar Eclipse - Umbral duration 236 minutes and total duration 106 minutes, the longest of the 20th century. [116]
July 16

NASA launches Landsat 4 to thematic map the Earth. [1]
July 24

E Bowell discovers asteroid #2763 Jeans. [1]
July 26

Canada's Anik D1 Comsat launched by US Delta rocket. [1]
August 19

Soyuz T-7 launched, Svetlana Savtiskaya second woman in space. [1]
August 26

NASA launches Telesat-F. [1]
August 27

Soyuz T-7 returns to Earth. [1]
September 9

Conestoga 1, first private commercial rocket, makes suborbital flight. [1]
September 28

NASA launches Intelsat V. [1]
October 16

Mount Palomar Observatory first to detect Halley's comet on 13th return. [1]
October 28

NASA launches RCA-E. [1]
November 11

5th space shuttle mission-Columbia 5-launches first commercial flight. [1]
November 16

5th Space Shuttle Mission-Columbia 5-lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1]
November 22

Space shuttle Columbia returns to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base, Texas. [1]
December 10

Soyuz T-5 returns to Earth, 211 days after take-off. [1]

1983

January 23

Russian radioactive satellite falls into Indian Ocean. [1]
January 26

Dutch/British infrared satellite IRAS launched from California. [1]
February 20

Japan launches Tenma satellite to study x-rays (450/570 km). [1]
April 4

6th space shuttle mission, Challenger 1 launched. [1]
April 7

STS-6: Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald H. Peterson perform the first space shuttle spacewalk (duration: 4 hours, 10 minutes). [1] [115]
April 9

6th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 1 returns to Earth. [1]
April 11

NASA launches RCA-F. [1]
April 17

India enters space age launching SLV-3 rocket. [1]
April 20

Soyuz T-8 launched; mission aborted when capsule fails to dock. [1]
April 22

Soyuz T-8 returns to Earth. [1]
April 25

Pioneer 10 travels beyond Pluto's orbit. [5]
April 28

NASA launches GOES-F. [1]
May 11

Comet C/1983 H1 (IRAS-Araki-Alcock) approaches 0.0312 astronomical units (AUs) of Earth. [1]
May 19

NASA launches Intelsat V. [1]
May 26

NASA launches Exosat. [1]
June 7

A Gilmore and P Kilmartin discovers asteroid #3152. [1]
June 13

Pioneer 10 becomes first man-made object to leave solar system. [1] [5] [115]
June 16

European Space Agency launches European Communications Satellite 1, Oscar 10. [1]
June 18

STS-7: Space Shuttle Challenger 2 mission launched; Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space. [1] [115]
June 22

First time a satellite is retrieved from orbit by Space Shuttle. [1]
June 24

7th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 2 lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] [5]
June 27

Soyuz T-9 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 7 space station. [1]
NASA launches space vehicle S-205. [1]
June 28

NASA launches Galaxy-A. [1]
June 29

Space shuttle Challenger flies back to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base. [1]
July 10

E Bowell discovers asteroids #3222 Lillerand #3751. [1]
July 11

E Bowell discovers asteroid #3485 Barucci. [1]
August 30

STS-8: Space Shuttle Challenger launched into space. [1] [115]
September 5

8th Space Shuttle Mission-Challenger 3-lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1]
September 8

NASA launches RCA-6. [1]
September 22

NASA launches Galaxy-B. [1]
September 23

Space shuttle Columbia moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating in preparation of STS-9. [1]
September 26

Cosmonauts Titov and Strekalov are saved from exploding Soyuz T-10. [1] [5]
November 25

Soyuz T-9 returns to Earth, 149 days after take-off. [1]
November 28

9th Space Shuttle Mission - Columbia 6 - is launched. [1]
December 8

9th Space Shuttle Mission - Columbia 6 - lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1]

1984

January 29

Space Shuttle 41-B (STS-11) Challenger launched. [1]
February 3

STS-41-B: Space Shuttle Challenger is launched on the 10th space shuttle mission. [1] [114]
February 7

Astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart make the first untethered space walk. [1] [114]
February 8

First time eight people in space. [1]
Soyuz T-10 launches with crew of three to Salyut 7. [1]
February 11

STS-41-B: Space Shuttle Challenger makes the first shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center. [1] [114]
March 1

NASA launches Landsat-D Prime (Landsat 5) to thematic map the Earth. [1]
April 2

Soyuz T-11 carries three cosmonauts (one Indian-Rakesh Sharma) to Salyut 7. [114] (April 3 [1])
April 6

11th Space Shuttle Mission (41-C)- Challenger 5 is launched; first time 11 people in space. [1]
April 10

Damaged Solar Max satellite snared by Challenger shuttle. [1]
April 11

Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts complete first in-space satellite repair. [1]
Soyuz T-11 returns to Earth. [1]
April 13

11th Space Shuttle Mission (41C) - Challenger 5 - returns to Earth. [1]
May 11

A transit of Earth from Mars takes place. [1] [114]
June 2

B A Skiff discovers asteroid #3617. [1]
June 9

NASA launches Intelsat V, it fails. [1]
June 10

US missile shoots down an incoming missile in space for first time. [1]
June 18

Perth Observatory discovers asteroid #3541. [1]
June 29

USSR offers to start talking about banning Strategic Defence Initiative. [1]
July 3

Dolphin rocket launched off San Clemente Island. [1]
July 17

Soyuz T-12 carries three cosmonauts to space station Salyut 7. [1]
July 25

Salyut 7 cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya performs a space walk. [1] [5] [114]
August 16

NASA launches Ampte. [1]
August 27

US President Ronald Reagan announces the Teacher in Space project. [1]
August 30

12th Space Shuttle Mission (41-D) - Discovery 1 - launched (6 days). [1] [114]
September 5

12th Space Shuttle Mission (41-D) - Discovery 1 - lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] [5] [114]
September 21

NASA launches Galaxy-C. [1]
October 2

Three cosmonauts return after a record 237 days in orbit. [1]
October 5

13th Space Shuttle Mission (41-G) - Challenger 6 - launched. Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space. [1] [5] [114]
October 11

Aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan becomes the first American woman to perform a space walk. [1] [114]
October 13

STS 41-G mission lands at Kennedy Space Center. [1]
October 24

Intelsat 5 re-enters Earth's atmosphere five months after it failed. [1]
November 8

STS 51-A mission launched. Anna Fisher becomes the first "mom" to go into orbit. [1]
November 12

Space shuttle astronauts snare a satellite; first space salvage. [1]
November 14

Astronauts aboard Discovery pluck a second satellite from orbit. [1]
NASA launches NATO-3D. [1]
November 16

14th Shuttle Mission (51A) - Discovery 2 - lands at Kennedy Center. [1]
November 20

SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) is founded. [5]
December 10

First planet outside our solar system is discovered. [1]
December 15

USSR launches Vega 1 for rendezvous with Halley's Comet. [1]
December 21

USSR launches Vega 2 for fly-by of Halley's Comet. [1]

End of 1980-1984. Next: 1985.

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