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

1985 January 5 Space shuttle Discovery moves to launch pad for STS 51-C mission. [1] January 7 Japanese space probe Sakigake launched to Halley's comet. [1] January 24 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 is launched. [1] January 27 15th Space Shuttle (51-C) Mission-Discovery 3 returns to Earth. [1] February 10 Space shuttle Challenger moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-E mission. [1] February 15 STS 51-E vehicle moves to launch pad. [1] March 4 STS 51-E vehicle rolls back to Vandenberg Air Force Base; mission cancelled. [1] March 22 NASA launches Intelsat VA. [1] March 23 Space shuttle Discovery moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-D mission. [1] March 28 International Cometary Explorer measures solar wind ahead of Halley's Comet. [1] STS 51-D vehicle moves to launch pad. [1] April 6 US space shuttle Atlantis (OV-104) rollout at Palmdale. [1] April 10 US space shuttle Challenger moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-B mission. [1] April 12 16th Shuttle Mission (51D)-Discovery 4 launched-with Senator Jake Garn. [1] April 13 US space shuttle Atlantis ferried to Kennedy Space Center via Ellington Air Force Base, Texas. [1] April 15 US space shuttle Challenger moves to launch pad for 51-B mission. [1] April 19 16th Space Shuttle Mission (51-D)-Discovery 4 returns to Earth. [1] April 29 17th space shuttle mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 launched. [1] May 6 17th Space Shuttle Mission (51-B)-Challenger 7 lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] May 10 Space shuttle Challenger transports back to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base. [1] May 24 Ferry flight, space shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) from Vandenberg Air Force Base to Edwards Air Force Base California. [1] May 28 Space shuttle Discovery moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-G. [1] June 4 STS 51-G vehicle moves to the launch pad. [1] June 6 Soyuz T-13 carries two cosmonauts to Salyut 7 space station. [1] June 15 En route to Halley's Comet, USSR's Vega 2 drops lander on Venus. [1] June 17 18th Space Shuttle Mission (51-G)-Discovery 5 launched. [1] June 24 18th Space Shuttle Mission (51-G) - Discovery 5 - returns to Earth. Payload Specialist Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud completes being the first Arab and first Muslim in space. [1] [5] [85] Space shuttle Challenger moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-F. [1] June 28 Space shuttle Discovery is ferried back to Kennedy Space Center via Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas. [1] June 29 NASA launches Intelsat VA. [1] STS 51-F vehicle moves to the launch pad. [1] July 2 European Space Agency launches Giotto to Halley's Comet. [1] Proto launched to Halley's Comet. [1] July 11 Refurbished space shuttle Columbia moves overland from Palmdale to Dryden. [1] July 12 STS 51-F launch scrubbed at T -3s because of main engine shutdown. [1] July 14 Space shuttle Columbia returns to Kennedy Space Center via Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. [1] July 19 U.S. Vice President George H.W. Bush announces that New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe will become the first schoolteacher to ride aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. [1] [85] July 29 19th Space Shuttle Mission (51-F)-Challenger 8-launched. [1] July 30 Space shuttle Discovery moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-I mission. [1] August 2 NASA launches space vehicle S-209. [1] August 6 19th space shuttle mission (51-F), Challenger 8, lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] STS 51-I vehicle moves to the launch pad. [1] August 7 Takao Doi, Mamoru Mohri and Chiaki Mukai are chosen to be Japan's first astronauts. [85] August 8 Japan launches Planet A, a probe to Halley's comet. [1] August 11 Challenger flies to Kennedy Space Center via Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. [1] August 19 Japan launches its second probe of Halley's Comet, Suisei. [1] August 24 STS 51-I mission scrubbed at T -5m because of bad weather. [1] August 25 STS 51-I scrubbed at T -9m because of an onboard computer problem. [1] August 27 20th Space Shuttle Mission (51-I) - Discovery 6 - launched. [1] August 29 US space shuttle Atlantis moves to launch pad for the 51-J mission. [1] September 3 20th Space Shuttle Mission (51-I) - Discovery 6 - returns to Earth. [1] September 8 Discovery flies back to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base. [1] September 11 International Cometary Explorer (ISEE 3) passes Giacobini-Zinner by 7900 km. [1] September 12 Flight readiness firing of space shuttle Atlantis' main engines; 20 seconds. [1] September 17 Soyuz T-14 carries three cosmonauts to Salyut 7 space station. [1] September 28 NASA launches Intelsat VA. [1] October 3 21st Shuttle Mission (51J)-Atlantis 1-all-military flight launched. [1] October 7 21st Space Shuttle Mission (51-J)-Atlantis 1 lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] October 11 US space shuttle Atlantis returns to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base. [1] October 12 US space shuttle Challenger moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 61A mission. [1] October 15 US space shuttle Columbia carries Spacelab into orbit. [1] October 16 US space shuttle Challenger vehicle moves to the launch pad for STS 61A mission. [1] October 25 Kosmos 1700 communications satellite placed in geostationary orbit. [1] October 30 22nd Space Shuttle Mission (61-A)-Challenger 9-launched. [1] November 6 22nd Space Shuttle Mission (61A) -Challenger 9- lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] November 8 US space shuttle Atlantis moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 61-B mission. [1] November 11 Space shuttle Challenger flies back to Kennedy Space Center via Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. [1] November 12 US space shuttle STS 61-B vehicle moves to the launch pad. [1] November 18 Space shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) flies from Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport, Washington, DC, is and turned over to the Smithsonian Institution. [1] November 22 US space shuttle Columbia moves to the Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating with STS 61-C. [1] November 26 23rd Space Shuttle Mission (61-B)-Atlantis 2-is launched. [1] December 1 US space shuttle STS 61-C vehicle moves to launch pad. [1] December 3 23rd Shuttle Mission (61-B)-Atlantis 2-lands at Edwards Air Force Base. [1] December 7 US space shuttle Atlantis returns to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly Air Force Base. [1] December 12 NASA launches space vehicle S-207. [1] December 16 US space shuttle Challenger moves to Vandenberg Air Force Base for mating of STS 51-L mission. [1] December 19 US space shuttle mission STS 61-C scrubbed at T -13 seconds because of solid rocket booster auxiliary power problem. [1] December 22 US space shuttle STS 51-L vehicle moves to Launch Pad 39B. [1] 1986 January 6 US space shuttle mission STS 61-C scrubbed at T-31 seconds because of liquid oxygen valve problem. [1] January 10 Space shuttle STS 61-C mission scrubbed T -9 minutes because of bad weather at Kennedy. [1] January 12 24th space shuttle mission STS 61-C Columbia 7 is launched with the first Hispanic-American astronaut, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz. [1] [84] January 18 24th Space Shuttle (61-C) Mission - Columbia 7 - returns to Earth. [1] January 23 Columbia returns to Kennedy Space Center via Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. [1] January 24 Voyager 2 space probe makes first fly-by of Uranus (81,593 km), finds new moons. [1] [84] January 28 25th Space Shuttle mission (51L) - Challenger 10 explodes 73 seconds after liftoff. Killed are: Christa McAuliffe (teacher), Dr Judith Arlene Resnik, USAF Major Ellison S Onizuka Hawaii, USAF Francis R Scobee Washington, payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, USN Commander Michael J Smith, Ronald E McNair. [1] [84] February 3 US President Ronald Reagan announces formation of Committee on Challenger Accident. [1] February 9 Halley's Comet reaches 30th perihelion (closest approach to Sun). [1] [84] February 19 USSR launches Mir space station into Earth orbit. [1] [5] [84] February 24 Voyager 2, first Uranus fly-by. [1] March 6 USSR's Vega 1 flies by Halley's Comet at 8,889 km. [1] March 8 Japanese spacecraft Suisei flies by Halley's Comet, studying its ultraviolet hydrogen corona and solar wind. [1] [84] March 9 United States Navy divers find the largely intact but heavily-damaged crew compartment of the Space Shuttle Challenger; the bodies of all seven astronauts are still inside. [1] [84] Soviet probe Vega 2 flies by Halley's Comet at 8,030 km. [1] March 11 Japanese probe Sakigake flies by Halley's Comet at 6.8 million km. [1] March 13 Soyuz T-15 carries two cosmonauts to Soviet space station Mir. [1] March 14 European Space Agency's Giotto flies by Halley's Comet (605 km). [1] March 24 NASA publishes Strategy for Safely Returning the Space Shuttle to Flight Status. [1] April 11 Halley's Comet makes closest approach to Earth this trip, 63 million km. [1] April 18 Titan rocket explodes seconds after liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base. [1] May 3 NASA launches Goes-G; it fails to achieve orbit. [1] May 30 Ariane-2 (ESA) launched. [1] June 3 E F Helin discovers asteroid #3767. [1] June 9 The Rogers Commission report on space shuttle Challenger disaster blames Morton Thiokol. [1] [84] July 8 NASA establishes Safety, Reliability Maintain and Quality Assurance standards for space shuttle program. [1] July 28 NASA releases transcript from doomed Challenger, pilot Michael Smith. [1] August 15 US President Ronald Reagan decides to support a replacement for the space shuttle Challenger. [1] August 22 NASA announces tests designed to verify ignition pressure dynamics for the space shuttle. [1] September 5 NASA awards study contracts to five aerospace firms. [1] NASA launches DOD-1. [1] September 10 Bryan O'Connor named chairman of US Space Flight Safety Panel. [1] October 30 US space shuttle Discovery moves to OPF where more than 200 modification are made. [1] November 13 NASA launches space vehicle S-199. [1] December 4 NASA launches Fltsatcom-7. [1] 1987 January 6 Astronomers at University of California see first sight of birth of a galaxy. [1] February 5 Soyuz TM-2 launches. [1] February 23 Supernova 1987A in LMC first seen; first naked-eye supernova since 1604. [1] [83] February 26 NASA launches GEOS-H. [1] March 20 NASA launches Palapa B2P. [1] March 26 NASA launches Fltsatcom-6, it fails to reach orbit. [1] March 28 Stacking of Discovery's solid rocket boosters gets underway. [1] May 15 First Energiya launch (USSR). [1] May 28 Stacking of space shuttle Discovery's solid rocket boosters completed. [1] June 10 US space shuttle Discovery's solid rocket boosters and External Tank are mated. [1] June 14 Fourth full-duration test firing of redesigned space shuttle solid rocket booster motor. [1] June 21 US Space Shuttle Discovery rolls over from OPF to Vandenberg Air Force Base. [1] June 23 W Landgraf discovers asteroid #3683 Baumann. [1] June 28 E F Helin discovers asteroid #3680 Sasha. [1] July 4 US Space Shuttle Discovery moves to Launch Pad 39B for STS-26 mission. [1] July 22 Soyuz TM-3 launched with three cosmonauts (one Syrian). [1] July 25 USSR launches Kosmos 1870, 15-ton Earth-study satellite. [1] July 31 Rockwell International awarded contract to build a 5th space shuttle. [1] August 3 US Space Shuttle Discovery in Orbital Processing Facility is powered up for STS-26. [1] August 10 Flight Readiness Firing of Space Shuttle Discovery's main engines is successful. [1] August 24 Announcement of possible Martian tornadoes. [1] September 16 NASA launches space vehicle S-209. [1] December 21 Soyuz TM-4 carries three cosmonauts (Musa Manarov, Anatoly Levchenko, and Vladimir Titov) to space station Mir. [1] 1988 February 8 NASA launches DOD-2. [1] March 15 NASA reports accelerated breakdown of ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons. [1] March 25 NASA launches space vehicle S-206. [1] April 15 Meteorite explodes above Indonesia. [1] April 25 NASA launches space vehicle S-211. [1] June 15 First launch of the European Space Program of the Ariane rocket. [37] NASA launches space vehicle S-213. [1] July 7 Soviet Union launches Phobos 1 to probe Martian moon (unsuccessful). [1] July 12 USSR launches Phobos II for Martian orbit. [1] July 21 ESA's Ariane-3 launches two communications satellites (one Indian). [1] July 29 Judge orders NASA to release unedited tape from Challenger cockpit. [1] August 8 Discovery of most distant galaxy (15 * 10 ^ 12 light years away) announced. [1] August 25 NASA launches space vehicle S-214. [1] August 29 USSR launches three cosmonauts (Valery Polyakav, one Afghan) to station Mir. [1] September 6 Crippled soviet Soyuz TM-5 lands safely with two cosmonauts aboard. [1] September 19 Israel launches first satellite, for secret military reconnaissance. [1] September 29 NASA resumes space shuttle flights, grounded after the Challenger disaster, with the 26th Space Shuttle mission, Discovery 7. Challenger disaster, with Space Shuttle Discovery. [1] [82] October 3 26th Space Shuttle Mission, Discovery 7 returns to Earth after four days. [1] November 15 91-metre radio telescope dish at Green Bank, West Virginia collapses. [1] In the Soviet Union, the unmanned space shuttle Buran is launched by an Energia rocket on its maiden orbital spaceflight (the first and last space flight for the shuttle). [1] [82] November 26 Alexander Volkov, Sergei Krikalev, and Jean-Loup Chretien launch. [1] Pioneer 6's closest approach to Earth since 1965 launch (1.87 million km). [1] December 5 Shuttle Atlantis (STS-27) launches world's first nuclear-war-fighting satellite. [1] December 6 STS-27 Atlantis lands in California after secret mission. [1] December 19 NASA unveils plans for lunar colony and manned missions to Mars. [1] December 21 Vladimir Titov, Anatoly Levchenko, and Musa Manarov return to Earth (after a year) with Chretien. [1] 1989 January 4 Comet Tempel 1 at perihelion. [1] January 16 USSR announces plan for two-year manned mission to Mars. [1] January 18 Astronomers discover pulsar in remnants of Supernova 1987A (LMC). [1] January 29 USSR's Phobos II enters Martian orbit. [1] February 1 Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 at perihelion. [1] February 14 The first of 24 Global Positioning System satellites is placed into orbit. [43] World's first satellite Skyphone opens. [1] February 20 Total eclipse of the Moon. [1] March 1 Comet du Toit at perihelion. [1] March 7 Partial eclipse of the Sun (Hawaii, North West North America, Greenland). [1] March 13 27th US space shuttle mission, STS-29, Discovery 8, launched; first woman to do the countdown. [1] March 18 27th space shuttle mission, STS-29 (Discovery 8), returns to Earth. [1] March 22 Asteroid 4581 Asclepius approaches the Earth at a distance of 700,000 kilometers. [43] March 23 A 300 m (1,000 ft) diameter Near-Earth asteroid misses the Earth by 500,000 km (400,000 miles). [43] March 29 First US private commercial rocket takes suborbital test flight (New Mexico). [1] May 4 US launches Magellan to Venus. [1] US space shuttle STS-30 launched. [1] May 8 US space shuttle STS-30 lands. [1] June 18 Comet Churyunov-Gerasimenko at perihelion. [1] June 30 NASA closes down tracking stations in Santiago, Chile, and Guam. [1] August 2 NASA confirmed Voyager 2's discovery of three more moons of Neptune designated temporarily 1989 N2, 1989 N3 and 1989 N24. [1] August 8 STS-28: Space Shuttle Columbia takes off on a secret five-day military mission. [1] [43] August 9 The asteroid 4769 Castalia is the first asteroid directly imaged by radar from Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. [43] August 11 Voyager 2 discovers two partial rings of Neptune. [1] August 13 US space shuttle STS-28 lands. [1] August 21 Voyager 2 begins a flyby of the planet Neptune. [1] August 22 First complete ring around Neptune discovered. [1] August 25 Voyager 2 flies past Neptune. [1] [43] (August 24 [5]) September 30 NASA closes down tracking stations in Hawaii and Ascension. [1] October 18 US 62nd manned space mission STS 34 (Atlantis 5) launches into orbit. [1] October 23 US 62nd manned space mission STS 34 (Atlantis 5) returns from space. [1] November 22 Conjunction of Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and the Moon. [1] US 63rd manned space mission STS 33 (Discovery 9) launches into orbit. [1] November 27 US 63rd manned space mission STS 33 (Discovery 9) returns from space. [1]