Rocket Launches in 2006
Spaceflight in 2006: New Horizons launches for Pluto in January, leaving Earth faster than any spacecraft before it. Stardust brings comet dust back to Earth the same month, and the shuttle returns to station assembly in September. SpaceX's Falcon 1 fails on its first launch from Kwajalein. In August Pluto is reclassified as a dwarf planet while New Horizons is on its way.
66 launches in 2006 · 3 failures · 1 partial
Launch list for 2006
| Date (UTC) | Rocket | Mission | Provider | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-01-19 | Atlas V 551 | New Horizons | ULA | Success |
| 2006-01-24 | H-IIA 2022 | Daichi | MHI | Success |
| 2006-02-15 | Zenit 3SL | Echostar X | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-02-18 | H-IIA 2024 | Himawari-7 (MTSAT-2) | MHI | Success |
| 2006-02-21 | M-V | Akari | IHI | Success |
| 2006-02-28 | Proton-M Briz-M | Arabsat 4A | Khrunichev | Partial Failure |
| 2006-03-11 | Ariane 5 ECA | Spainsat & Hot Bird 7A | ArianeGroup | Success |
| 2006-03-22 | Pegasus XL | ST-5 FWD | OSC | Success |
| 2006-03-24 | Falcon 1 | FalconSAT-2 | SpaceX | Failure |
| 2006-03-30 | Soyuz FG | Soyuz TMA-8 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-04-12 | Zenit 3SL | JCSAT 5A | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-04-15 | Minotaur I | COSMIC 1-6 | OSC | Success |
| 2006-04-20 | Atlas V 411 | Astra 1KR | ULA | Success |
| 2006-04-24 | Soyuz U | Progress M-56 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-04-25 | Start-1 | EROS B | MITT | Success |
| 2006-04-26 | Long March 4C | Yaogan Weixing 1 | CASC | Success |
| 2006-04-28 | Delta II 7420-10C | Cloudsat | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 2006-05-03 | Soyuz-U-PVB | Yantar-4K2M 2 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-05-24 | Delta IV M+(4,2) | GOES 13 | ULA | Success |
| 2006-05-26 | Shtil'-1 | COMPASS-2 | KBM | Success |
| 2006-05-27 | Ariane 5 ECA | Satmex 6 & Thaicom 5 | ArianeGroup | Success |
| 2006-06-15 | Soyuz-U-PVB | Resurs-DK | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-06-17 | Proton-K/DM-2M | Kazsat | Khrunichev | Success |
| 2006-06-18 | Zenit 3SL | Galaxy 16 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-06-21 | Delta II 7925-9.5 | MITEx | ULA | Success |
| 2006-06-24 | Soyuz U | Progress M-57 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-06-25 | Tsiklon-2 | US-PM 13 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-06-28 | Delta IV M+(4,2) | NROL-22 (Trumpet 4) | ULA | Success |
| 2006-07-04 | Space Shuttle | STS-121 | Rockwell / Martin Marietta / Thiokol | Success |
| 2006-07-10 | GSLV | INSAT-4C | ISRO | Failure |
| 2006-07-12 | Dnepr 1 | Genesis-1 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-07-21 | Molniya-M 2BL | US-K 83 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-07-26 | Dnepr 1 | BelKA | Yuzhmash | Failure |
| 2006-07-28 | Rokot/Briz-KM | Arirang-2 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 2006-08-04 | Proton-M Briz-M | Hot Bird 8 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 2006-08-11 | Ariane 5 ECA | JCSAT-10 & Syracuse 3B | ArianeGroup | Success |
| 2006-08-22 | Zenit 3SL | Mugunghwa 5 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-09-09 | Long March 2C | Shi Jian 8 | CASC | Success |
| 2006-09-09 | Space Shuttle | STS-115 | Rockwell / Martin Marietta / Thiokol | Success |
| 2006-09-11 | H-IIA 202 | IGS Optical 2 | MHI | Success |
| 2006-09-12 | Long March 3A | Zhongxing 22A | CASC | Success |
| 2006-09-14 | Soyuz-U-PVB | Orlets-1 8 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-09-18 | Soyuz FG | Soyuz TMA-9 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-09-22 | M-V | Hinode | IHI | Success |
| 2006-09-25 | Delta II 7925-9.5 | GPS IIR-15(M) | ULA | Success |
| 2006-10-13 | Ariane 5 ECA | DirecTV-9S, Optus D1, LDREX-2 | ArianeGroup | Success |
| 2006-10-19 | Soyuz 2.1a Fregat | METOP A | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-10-23 | Soyuz U | Progress M-58 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-10-23 | Long March 4B | Shi Jian 6C & 6D | CASC | Success |
| 2006-10-26 | Delta II 7925-10L | STEREO A & B | ULA | Success |
| 2006-10-28 | Long March 3B | Xinnuo 2 | CASC | Success |
| 2006-10-30 | Zenit 3SL | XM-4 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 2006-11-04 | Delta IV M | DMSP F-17 | ULA | Success |
| 2006-11-08 | Proton-M Briz-M | Badr 4 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 2006-11-17 | Delta II 7925-9.5 | GPS IIR-16(M) | ULA | Success |
| 2006-12-08 | Long March 3A | Feng Yun 2D | CASC | Success |
| 2006-12-08 | Ariane 5 ECA | WildBlue 1 & AMC-18 | ArianeGroup | Success |
| 2006-12-10 | Space Shuttle | STS-116 | Rockwell / Martin Marietta / Thiokol | Success |
| 2006-12-11 | Proton-M Briz-M | Measat 3 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 2006-12-14 | Delta II 7920-10 | NROL-21 | ULA | Success |
| 2006-12-16 | Minotaur I | Tacsat 2 | OSC | Success |
| 2006-12-18 | H-IIA 204 | Kiku-8 | MHI | Success |
| 2006-12-19 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | SAR-Lupe 1 | Polyot | Success |
| 2006-12-24 | Soyuz 2.1a Fregat | Meridian No. 11L | Progress RSC | Success |
| 2006-12-25 | Proton K/DM-2 | Uragan-M 6 to 8 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 2006-12-27 | Soyuz 2.1b Fregat | COROT | Progress RSC | Success |