May 15 Energia
Success
The Soviet Union's giant Energia rocket makes its first flight
The 80-tonne Polyus spacecraft it carried separated from the rocket, then fired its engine facing the wrong way and came down over the Pacific.
Rocket launches in1987
The new Energia super-heavy makes its first flight in May, carrying the Polyus military prototype that fails to reach orbit. No US Shuttle flies all year — the USA keeps payloads moving on Atlas, Delta, and Titan expendables.
Monthly Cadence complete
DEC peak 13 launches ↑ 4% vs 1986
- launches
- 115
- success · 110/115
- 96%
- providers
- 2
1987 launch leaders
Providers
1987 highlights
Mar 26 Atlas G
Failure
Lightning destroys an Atlas rocket climbing through storm clouds
The rocket itself triggered the strike, which scrambled its guidance and turned it sideways until it broke up. Launch lightning rules were rewritten in 1988.
Mar 31 Proton K 8K82K
Success
Mir space station gains its first added module, Kvant-1
Kvant-1 carried X-ray telescopes, which picked up X-rays from Supernova 1987A, a star seen exploding in a nearby galaxy in February 1987.
Dec 21 Soyuz TM
Success
Two cosmonauts set off on the first full year in space
Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov lived aboard the Mir space station and landed a year to the day later, on December 21, 1988.
All 1987 launches
Quick filters
115 launches
| January | ||||
Jan 5, 1987 | Meteor-2 15 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Jan 9, 1987 | Kosmos 1811 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jan 14, 1987 | Kosmos 1812 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Jan 15, 1987 | Kosmos 1813 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jan 16, 1987 | Progress 27 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Jan 21, 1987 | Kosmos 1814 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 22, 1987 | Kosmos 1815 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 22, 1987 | Molniya 3-42L Russia • Molniya M | |||
Jan 29, 1987 | Kosmos 1816 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 30, 1987Failure | Kosmos 1817 Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
| February | ||||
Feb 1, 1987 | Kosmos 1818 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Feb 5, 1987 | ASTRO-C Japan • Mu 3SII | |||
Feb 5, 1987 | Soyuz TM-2 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Feb 7, 1987 | Kosmos 1819 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Feb 12, 1987 | USA-21 USA • Titan III(34)B | |||
Feb 14, 1987 | Kosmos 1820 Russia • Zenit 2 | |||
Feb 18, 1987 | Kosmos 1821 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Feb 19, 1987 | MOS-1 Japan • Thor N-II | |||
Feb 19, 1987 | Kosmos 1822 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Feb 20, 1987 | Kosmos 1823 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Feb 26, 1987 | Kosmos 1824 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Feb 26, 1987 | GOES-H USA • Delta 3914 | |||
| March | ||||
Mar 3, 1987 | Progress 28 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Mar 3, 1987 | Kosmos 1825 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Mar 11, 1987 | Kosmos 1826 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Mar 13, 1987 | Kosmos 1827 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Mar 18, 1987 | Kosmos 1833 Russia • Zenit 2 | |||
Mar 19, 1987 | Gran' #31L Russia • Proton K/DM 8K82K/11S86 | |||
Mar 20, 1987 | Palapa B2P USA • Delta 3920 | |||
Mar 24, 1987Failure | SROSS-A India • ASLV | |||
Mar 26, 1987Failure | FLTSATCOM-6 USA • Atlas G | |||
Mar 31, 1987 | Kvant-1 Russia • Proton K 8K82K | |||
| April | ||||
Apr 8, 1987 | Kosmos 1834 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Apr 9, 1987 | Kosmos 1835 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Apr 16, 1987 | Kosmos 1836 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Apr 21, 1987 | Progress 29 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Apr 22, 1987 | Kosmos 1837 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Apr 24, 1987Failure | Kosmos 1838 Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Apr 24, 1987 | Kosmos 1841 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Apr 27, 1987 | Kosmos 1842 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
| May | ||||
May 5, 1987 | Kosmos 1843 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 11, 1987 | Gorizont #23L Russia • Proton K/DM 8K82K/11S86 | |||
May 13, 1987 | Kosmos 1844 Russia • Zenit 2 | |||
May 13, 1987 | Kosmos 1845 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 15, 1987 | USA-22/23/24/25 USA • Atlas H | |||
May 15, 1987 | Polyus Russia • Energia | |||
May 19, 1987 | Progress 30 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
May 21, 1987 | Kosmos 1846 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 26, 1987 | Kosmos 1847 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 28, 1987 | Kosmos 1848 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
| June | ||||
Jun 4, 1987 | Kosmos 1849 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Jun 9, 1987 | Kosmos 1850 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jun 12, 1987 | Kosmos 1851 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Jun 16, 1987 | Kosmos 1852-1859 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jun 18, 1987Failure | Resurs-F1 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jun 18, 1987 | Kosmos 1860 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Jun 20, 1987 | USA-26 USA • Atlas E/F-Star-37S-ISS | |||
Jun 23, 1987 | Kosmos 1861 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
| July | ||||
Jul 1, 1987 | Kosmos 1862 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Jul 4, 1987 | Kosmos 1863 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jul 6, 1987 | Kosmos 1864 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 8, 1987 | Kosmos 1865 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jul 9, 1987 | Kosmos 1866 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jul 10, 1987 | Kosmos 1867 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Jul 14, 1987 | Kosmos 1868 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 16, 1987 | Kosmos 1869 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Jul 22, 1987 | Soyuz TM-3 Russia • Soyuz TM | |||
Jul 25, 1987 | Kosmos 1870 Russia • Proton K 8K82K | |||
| August | ||||
Aug 1, 1987 | Kosmos 1871 Russia • Zenit 2 | |||
Aug 3, 1987 | Progress 31 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Aug 5, 1987 | FSW-0 No.9 China • Long March 2C | |||
Aug 18, 1987 | Meteor-2 16 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Aug 19, 1987 | Kosmos 1872 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Aug 27, 1987 | BOR-5 504 Russia • Kosmos K65M-RB5 | |||
Aug 27, 1987 | ETS-5 Japan • Thor H-I | |||
Aug 28, 1987 | Kosmos 1873 Russia • Zenit 2 | |||
| September | ||||
Sep 3, 1987 | Kosmos 1874 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 3, 1987 | Ekran #29L Russia • Proton K/DM 8K82K/11S86 | |||
Sep 7, 1987 | Kosmos 1875 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Sep 9, 1987 | FSW-1 No.1 China • Long March 2C | |||
Sep 11, 1987 | Kosmos 1881 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 15, 1987 | Kosmos 1882 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 16, 1987 | Aussat-A3 France • Arianespace • Ariane 3 | |||
Sep 16, 1987 | Kosmos 1883 Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Sep 16, 1987 | Transit-O 27 USA • Scout G-1 | |||
Sep 17, 1987 | Kosmos 1886 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 23, 1987 | Progress 32 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Sep 29, 1987 | Kosmos 1887 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
| October | ||||
Oct 1, 1987 | Kosmos 1888 Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Oct 9, 1987 | Kosmos 1889 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Oct 10, 1987 | Kosmos 1890 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Oct 14, 1987 | Kosmos 1891 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Oct 20, 1987 | Kosmos 1892 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Oct 22, 1987 | Kosmos 1893 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Oct 26, 1987 | USA-27 USA • Titan 34D | |||
Oct 28, 1987 | Kosmos 1894 Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
| November | ||||
Nov 11, 1987 | Kosmos 1895 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Nov 14, 1987 | Kosmos 1896 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Nov 20, 1987 | Progress 33 Russia • Soyuz U2 | |||
Nov 21, 1987 | TVSAT-1 France • Arianespace • Ariane 2 | |||
Nov 26, 1987 | Kosmos 1897 Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Nov 29, 1987 | USA-28 USA • Titan 34D/Transtage | |||
| December | ||||
Dec 1, 1987 | Kosmos 1898 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 7, 1987 | Kosmos 1899 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Dec 10, 1987 | Gran' #32L Russia • Proton K/DM 8K82K/11S86 | |||
Dec 12, 1987 | Kosmos 1900 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Dec 14, 1987 | Kosmos 1901 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Dec 15, 1987 | Kosmos 1902 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 21, 1987 | Soyuz TM-4 Russia • Soyuz TM | |||
Dec 21, 1987 | Kosmos 1903 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Dec 23, 1987 | Kosmos 1904 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 25, 1987 | Kosmos 1905 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Dec 26, 1987 | Kosmos 1906 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Dec 27, 1987 | Ekran-M #13L Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Dec 29, 1987 | Kosmos 1907 Russia • Soyuz U | |||