Rocket Launches in 1966
Spaceflight in 1966: Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon in February and sends back pictures from the surface, and in April Luna 10 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit it. The United States follows with Surveyor 1 and the Lunar Orbiters, which map landing sites for Apollo. In March Gemini 8 performs the first docking in orbit, and the Gemini program ends in November.
131 launches in 1966 · 13 failures · 3 partial
Launch list for 1966
| Date (UTC) | Rocket | Mission | Provider | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-01-07 | Thor Burner 1 | DSAP-2 F2 | McDonnell Douglas | Failure |
| 1966-01-07 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 33 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-01-19 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 24 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-01-22 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 34 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-01-25 | Kosmos 11K63 | DS-P1-I 1 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-01-28 | Scout A | Transit-O 7 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-01-31 | Molniya-M 2BL | Luna-9 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1966-02-02 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 29 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-02-03 | Thor Delta C | ESSA 1 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-02-09 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | P-770 Group 3-D 2 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-02-10 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 35 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-02-11 | Kosmos-2I | DS-U1-G 1 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-02-15 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 25 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-02-17 | Diamant A | Diapason D-1A | SEREB | Success |
| 1966-02-19 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 15 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-02-21 | Kosmos-2I | DS-K-40 2 | Yuzhmash | Failure |
| 1966-02-22 | Voskhod | Voskhod-3KV 3 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-02-28 | Thor Delta E | ESSA 2 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-03-01 | Molniya-M 2BL | Luna-10a | Progress RSC | Partial Failure |
| 1966-03-09 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 30 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-03-16 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | GATV 8 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-03-16 | Titan II GLV | Gemini VIII (Gemini 8) | Martin | Success |
| 1966-03-17 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 36 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-03-18 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 26 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-03-21 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 16 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-03-24 | UR-500 | Proton 3a | Khrunichev | Failure |
| 1966-03-26 | Scout A | Transit-O 8 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-03-27 | Molniya 8K78 | Molniya-1 3a | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1966-03-30 | SM-65D Atlas | OV1-4 & 5 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-03-31 | Thor Burner 1 | DSAP-2 F3 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-03-31 | Molniya-M 2BL | Luna-10 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1966-04-06 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 17 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-04-07 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 31 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-04-08 | Atlas LV-3C Centaur D | Surveyor M-2 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-04-08 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | OAO 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-04-19 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 27 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-04-20 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 37 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-04-22 | Scout B | OV3-1 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-04-25 | Molniya 8K78 | Molniya-1 3 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-04-26 | Kosmos 11K63 | DS-P1-Yu 5 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-05-03 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 32 | McDonnell Douglas | Failure |
| 1966-05-06 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 38 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-05-11 | Vostok 8A92M | Meteor-1 4 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-05-14 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 28 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-05-15 | Thor SLV-2A Agena B | Nimbus 2 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-05-17 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 18 | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1966-05-17 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | GATV 9 | Convair | Failure |
| 1966-05-19 | Scout A | Transit-O 9 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-05-24 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 33 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-05-24 | Kosmos 11K63 | DS-U2-I 1 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-05-25 | Thor Delta C1 | Explorer 32 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-05-30 | Atlas LV-3C Centaur D | Surveyor 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-06-01 | Atlas SLV-3 | ATDA | Convair | Success |
| 1966-06-03 | Titan II GLV | Gemini IX-A (Gemini 9A) | Martin | Success |
| 1966-06-03 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 29 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-06-07 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena B | OGO 3 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-06-08 | Voskhod | Zenit-2 39 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-06-09 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | RTS-1 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-06-10 | Scout B | OV3-4 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-06-16 | Titan IIIC | IDCSP 1 to 7 | LM | Success |
| 1966-06-17 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 19 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-06-21 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 34 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-06-24 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | Pageos | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-06-25 | Vostok 8A92M | Meteor-1 5 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-07-01 | Thor Delta E1 | Explorer 33 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-07-05 | Saturn IB | Apollo AS-203 | Chrysler / Douglas | Success |
| 1966-07-06 | UR-500 | Proton 3 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 1966-07-08 | Kosmos-2I | DS-P1-Yu 6 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-07-12 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 30 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-07-14 | SM-65D Atlas | OV1-7 | Convair | Partial Failure |
| 1966-07-14 | Voskhod | Zenit-2 40 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-07-18 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | GATV 10 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-07-18 | Titan II GLV | Gemini X (Gemini 10) | Martin | Success |
| 1966-07-20 | Soyuz 11A510 | US-AO 2 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-07-28 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 20 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-07-29 | Titan IIIB | KH-8 1 | LM | Success |
| 1966-08-04 | Scout B | OV3-3 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-08-08 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 21 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-08-09 | Thorad SLV-2G Agena D | KH-4A 35 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-08-10 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | Lunar Orbiter I | Convair | Success |
| 1966-08-16 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 31 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-08-17 | Thor Delta E1 | Pioneer 7 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-08-18 | Scout A | Transit-O 10 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-08-19 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | RTS-1 2 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-08-24 | Molniya-M 2BL | Luna-11 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1966-08-26 | Titan IIIC | IDCSP 8 to 14 | LM | Failure |
| 1966-08-27 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 22 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-09-12 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | GATV 11 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-09-12 | Titan II GLV | Gemini XI (Gemini 11) | Martin | Success |
| 1966-09-16 | Thor Burner 2 | DSAP-4A F1 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-09-16 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 41 | RKK Energia | Failure |
| 1966-09-16 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 32 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-09-17 | R-36O 8K69 | OGCh 5 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-09-20 | Atlas LV-3C Centaur D | Surveyor 2 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-09-20 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | KH-4A 36 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-09-26 | Lambda 4S | Ohsumi 1 | Nissan | Failure |
| 1966-09-28 | Titan IIIB | KH-8 2 | LM | Success |
| 1966-10-02 | Thor Delta E | ESSA 3 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-10-05 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | RTS-1 3 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-10-12 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 33 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-10-14 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 42 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-10-20 | Molniya 8K78 | Molniya-1 4 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-10-20 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 23 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-10-22 | Molniya-M 2BL | Luna-12 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1966-10-26 | Atlas LV-3C Centaur D | Surveyor Model 3 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-10-26 | Thor Delta E1 | INTELSAT II F-1 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-10-28 | Scout B | OV3-2 | Vought | Success |
| 1966-11-02 | R-36O 8K69 | OGCh 6 | Yuzhmash | Partial Failure |
| 1966-11-02 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 34 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-11-03 | Titan IIIC | Gemini B | LM | Success |
| 1966-11-06 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | Lunar Orbiter 2 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-11-08 | Thorad SLV-2G Agena D | KH-4A 37 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-11-11 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | GATV 12 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-11-11 | Titan II GLV | Gemini XII (Gemini 12) | Martin | Success |
| 1966-11-12 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 24 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-11-16 | Kosmos 11K65 | Strela-2 2 | Yuzhmash | Failure |
| 1966-11-19 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 43 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-11-28 | Soyuz 11A511 | Kosmos 133 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1966-12-03 | Voskhod | Zenit-4 25 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-12-05 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | KH-7 35 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-12-07 | Atlas SLV-3 Agena D | ATS 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-12-11 | SM-65D Atlas | OV1-9 & 10 | Convair | Success |
| 1966-12-12 | Kosmos 11K63 | DS-U2-MP 1 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-12-14 | Soyuz 11A511 | Soyuz 7K-OK No.1 | Progress RSC | Failure |
| 1966-12-14 | Titan IIIB | KH-8 3 | LM | Success |
| 1966-12-14 | Thor Delta G | Biosat 1 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1966-12-19 | Vostok 8A92 | Zenit-2 44 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1966-12-20 | Lambda 4S | Ohsumi 2 | Nissan | Failure |
| 1966-12-21 | Molniya-M 2BL | Luna-13 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1966-12-21 | Kosmos-2I | DS-U2-D 1 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1966-12-29 | Thor SLV-2A Agena D | Multigroup 1 & Setter 1A | McDonnell Douglas | Success |