1988 in spaceflight

The following is an outline of 1988 in spaceflight.

1988 in spaceflight

Space Shuttle Discovery launches on STS-26R, the first US crewed spaceflight after the Challenger accident
Orbital launches
First	6 January 1988
Last	29 December 1988
Total	121
Catalogued	116
National firsts
Satellite	Israel  Luxembourg
Orbital launch	Israel
Space traveller	Afghanistan
Rockets
Maiden flights	Ariane 4 Long March 4A Shavit
Retirements	Energia Titan 34D
Crewed flights
Orbital	5
Total travellers	19
v t e

1988 in spaceflight

Timeline of spaceflight ← 1987 1989 →

Shuttle return to flight

This section is an excerpt from STS-26 § Mission summary.[edit]

Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Launch Complex 39B, Kennedy Space Center, at 11:37:00 a.m. EDT on September 29, 1988, 975 days after the Challenger disaster.

Launches

← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec →

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload (⚀ = CubeSat)	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
25 March	Scout G-1			San Marco mobile range, Kenya		ASI
		San Marco-D/L	ASI	Low Earth	Atmospheric research	In orbit	Successful
7 June 21:38:16	Soyuz-U2			Baikonur Site 1/5
		Soyuz TM-5		Low Earth (Mir)	Mir EP-2	7 September 00:48:38	Successful
		Crewed flight launching three cosmonauts and landing two, computer problems during deorbit nearly resulted in loss of crew, and delayed landing by one day
15 June 11:19	Ariane 4 44LP			Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
		Meteosat-3	EUMETSAT	GTO	Meteorology	In orbit	Successful
		PAS 1	PanAmSat	GTO	Communications	In orbit	Successful
		AMSAT-OSCAR-13	AMSAT	Low Earth	Amateur radio	6 December 1996	Successful
		Maiden flight of the Ariane 4 rocket
7 July 17:38	Proton-K			Baikonur site LC200/39
		Fobos 1		Intended: Areocentric Actual: Heliocentric	Mars orbiter	In orbit	Spacecraft failure
		stationary lander			Phobos lander	In orbit	Never deployed
		Loss of communication 2 September 1988 en route to Mars
12 July 17:01	Proton-K			Baikonur site LC200/40
		Fobos 2		Areocentric	Mars orbiter	In orbit	Spacecraft failure
		stationary lander			Phobos lander	In orbit	Never deployed
		"hopping" lander			Phobos lander	In orbit	Never deployed
		Loss of communication 27 March 1989 near Phobos
29 August 04:23:11	Soyuz-U2			Baikonur Site 1/5
		Soyuz TM-6		Low Earth (Mir)	Mir EP-3	21 December 09:57:00	Successful
		Crewed flight with three cosmonauts, one remained on Mir as part of EO-3, first Afghan space traveller
29 September 15:37:00	Space Shuttle Discovery			Kennedy LC-39B		United Space Alliance
		STS-26R	NASA	Low Earth	Satellite deployment	3 October 16:37:11	Successful
		TDRS-3 (TDRS-C)	NASA	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
		Crewed flight with five astronauts, first US crewed spaceflight after the Challenger accident in 1986, TDRS deployed using Inertial Upper Stage
15 November 03:00:02	Energia			Baikonur Site 110/37
		Buran 1K1		Low Earth	Test flight	06:26	Successful
		37KB No.3770		Low Earth (Buran)	Test flight		Successful
		Uncrewed test, only flight of Buran and final flight of Energia
26 November 14:49:34	Soyuz-U2			Baikonur Site 1/5
		Soyuz TM-7		Low Earth (Mir)	Mir EO-4/EP-4	27 April 1989 02:57:58	Successful
		Crewed flight with three cosmonauts
2 December 14:30:34	Space Shuttle Atlantis			Kennedy LC-39B		United Space Alliance
		STS-27R	NASA/NRO	Low Earth	Satellite deployment	6 December 23:30:39	Successful
		USA-34 (Lacrosse)	NRO/CIA	Low Earth	Radar imaging	25 March 1997	Successful
		Crewed flight with five astronauts
11 December 00:33	Ariane 4 44LP			Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
		Skynet 4B	UK Ministry of Defence	GTO	Communications	In orbit	Successful
		Astra 1A	SES Astra	GTO	Communications	In orbit	Successful

Deep-space rendezvous

There were no deep-space rendezvous in 1988.