Aug 9 Proton K/D-1 8K82K/11S824M
Success
Soviet Luna 24 brings back the last Moon soil for 44 years
Luna 24 drilled about two meters into the Moon and flew 170 grams of soil home. China's Chang'e 5 brought the next samples in 2020.
Rocket launches in1976
Viking 1 touches down on Mars on July 20 and Viking 2 on September 3 — the first spacecraft to successfully land and operate on the Martian surface, returning soil experiments and the first colour images from the ground.
Monthly Cadence complete
JUL peak 17 launches ↓ 2% vs 1975
- launches
- 132
- success · 127/132
- 96%
- provider
- 1
1976 launch leaders
1976 highlights
Jan 15 Titan III(23)E/Star-37E
Success
Helios 2 flies closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before it
The West German-American probe passed 43 million kilometres from the Sun in April 1976. Parker Solar Probe beat that distance in 2018.
Feb 19 Delta 2914
Success
Marisat brings satellite phone and telex links to ships at sea
Three Marisat satellites covered the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They later became the starting network of Inmarsat, the international maritime satellite service.
May 4 Delta 2913
Success
NASA launches LAGEOS, a mirror-covered ball for tracking drifting continents
Ground stations bounced lasers off its 426 reflectors to measure the slow movement of Earth's tectonic plates.
Jul 8 Delta 2914
Success
Indonesia's first satellite links its islands by phone and TV
Palapa A1 made Indonesia the first developing country to run its own domestic satellite system.
Oct 14 Soyuz U
Success
Soyuz 23 lands its crew in an icy lake during a blizzard
A docking failure at the Salyut 5 space station cut the flight short. Rescuers towed the capsule out of Lake Tengiz the next morning.
All 1976 launches
Quick filters
132 launches
| January | ||||
Jan 6, 1976 | Kosmos 787b Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 7, 1976 | Kosmos 788 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Jan 15, 1976 | Helios-2 USA • Titan III(23)E/Star-37E | |||
Jan 17, 1976 | CTS 1 Hermes USA • Delta 2914 | |||
Jan 20, 1976 | Kosmos 789 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 22, 1976 | Kosmos 790 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 22, 1976 | Molniya 1-32 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Jan 28, 1976 | Kosmos 791-798 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 29, 1976 | Kosmos 799 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Jan 29, 1976 | Intelsat 4A F2 USA • Atlas Centaur SLV-3D | |||
| February | ||||
Feb 3, 1976 | Kosmos 800 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Feb 4, 1976Failure | CORSA Japan • Mu 3C | |||
Feb 5, 1976 | Kosmos 801 Russia • Kosmos 2 | |||
Feb 11, 1976 | Kosmos 802 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Feb 12, 1976 | Kosmos 803 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Feb 16, 1976 | Kosmos 804 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Feb 19, 1976Failure | DMSP-5C-F3 USA • Thor Burner 2A | |||
Feb 19, 1976 | Marisat-1 USA • Delta 2914 | |||
Feb 20, 1976 | Kosmos 805 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Feb 29, 1976 | ISS-1 Japan • Thor N-I | |||
| March | ||||
Mar 10, 1976 | Kosmos 806 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Mar 11, 1976 | Molniya 1-33 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Mar 12, 1976 | Kosmos 807 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Mar 15, 1976 | LES-8 USA • Titan III(23)C | |||
Mar 16, 1976 | Kosmos 808 Russia • Vostok 2M | |||
Mar 18, 1976 | Kosmos 809 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Mar 19, 1976 | Molniya 1-34 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Mar 22, 1976 | OPS-7600 USA • Titan III(24)B | |||
Mar 26, 1976 | Kosmos 810 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Mar 26, 1976 | Satcom-2 USA • Delta 3914 | |||
Mar 31, 1976 | Kosmos 811 Russia • Soyuz M | |||
| April | ||||
Apr 6, 1976 | Kosmos 812 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Apr 7, 1976 | Meteor 1-24 Russia • Vostok 2M | |||
Apr 9, 1976 | Kosmos 813 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Apr 13, 1976 | Kosmos 814 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Apr 22, 1976 | NATO 3A USA • Delta 2914 | |||
Apr 28, 1976 | Kosmos 816 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Apr 28, 1976 | Kosmos 815 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Apr 30, 1976 | OPS-6431 USA • Atlas E/F-MSD | |||
| May | ||||
May 4, 1976 | LAGEOS-1 USA • Delta 2913 | |||
May 5, 1976 | Kosmos 817 Russia • Voskhod | |||
May 12, 1976 | Molniya 3-16L Russia • Molniya M | |||
May 13, 1976 | Comstar D1 USA • Atlas Centaur SLV-3D | |||
May 15, 1976 | Meteor 1-25 Russia • Vostok 2M | |||
May 18, 1976 | Kosmos 818 Russia • Kosmos 2 | |||
May 20, 1976 | Kosmos 819 Russia • Voskhod | |||
May 21, 1976 | Kosmos 820 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 22, 1976 | Wideband USA • Scout B-1 | |||
May 26, 1976 | Kosmos 821 Russia • Voskhod | |||
May 28, 1976 | Kosmos 822 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
| June | ||||
Jun 2, 1976 | Kosmos 823 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jun 2, 1976 | OPS-7837 USA • Titan III(34)B | |||
Jun 8, 1976 | Kosmos 824 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Jun 10, 1976 | Marisat-2 USA • Delta 2914 | |||
Jun 15, 1976 | Kosmos 825-832 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jun 16, 1976 | Kosmos 833 Russia • Voskhod | |||
Jun 18, 1976 | Gravity Probe A USA • Scout D-1 | |||
Jun 19, 1976 | Interkosmos 15 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jun 22, 1976 | Salyut 5 Russia • Proton K 8K82K | |||
Jun 24, 1976 | Kosmos 834 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jun 26, 1976 | OPS-2112 USA • Titan III(23)C | |||
Jun 28, 1976 | ITF-1 USA • Titan II | |||
Jun 29, 1976 | Kosmos 836 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jun 29, 1976 | Kosmos 835 Russia • Voskhod | |||
| July | ||||
Jul 1, 1976Partial failure | Kosmos 837 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Jul 2, 1976 | Kosmos 838 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Jul 6, 1976 | Soyuz 21 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jul 8, 1976 | Kosmos 839 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 8, 1976 | OPS-4699 USA • Titan III(23)D | |||
Jul 8, 1976 | Palapa-A1 USA • Delta 2914 | |||
Jul 14, 1976 | Kosmos 840 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jul 15, 1976 | Kosmos 841 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 21, 1976 | Kosmos 842 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 21, 1976 | Kosmos 843 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Jul 22, 1976 | Kosmos 844 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Jul 22, 1976 | Comstar D2 USA • Atlas Centaur SLV-3D | |||
Jul 23, 1976 | Molniya 1-35 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Jul 27, 1976 | Interkosmos 16 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 27, 1976 | Kosmos 845 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 29, 1976 | Kosmos 846 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jul 29, 1976 | NOAA-5 USA • Delta 2310 | |||
| August | ||||
Aug 4, 1976 | Kosmos 847 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Aug 6, 1976 | OPS-7940 USA • Titan III(34)B | |||
Aug 9, 1976 | Luna 24 Russia • Proton K/D-1 8K82K/11S824M | |||
Aug 12, 1976 | Kosmos 848 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Aug 18, 1976 | Kosmos 849 Russia • Kosmos 2 | |||
Aug 26, 1976 | Kosmos 850 Russia • Kosmos 2 | |||
Aug 27, 1976 | Kosmos 851 Russia • Vostok 2M | |||
Aug 28, 1976 | Kosmos 852 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Aug 30, 1976 | L-4SC-4 Japan • Lambda 4SC | |||
| September | ||||
Sep 1, 1976Partial failure | Kosmos 853 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Sep 1, 1976 | Triad 3 USA • Scout D-1 | |||
Sep 3, 1976 | Kosmos 854 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 11, 1976 | DMSP-5D-F1 USA • Thor DSV-2U | |||
Sep 11, 1976 | Gran' #12L Russia • Proton K/DM 8K82K/11S86 | |||
Sep 15, 1976 | Soyuz 22 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 15, 1976 | OPS-8533 USA • Titan III(24)B | |||
Sep 21, 1976 | Kosmos 855 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 22, 1976 | Kosmos 856 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 24, 1976 | Kosmos 857 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Sep 29, 1976 | Kosmos 858 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
| October | ||||
Oct 4, 1976Failure | Zenit-4MKT Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Oct 10, 1976 | Kosmos 859 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Oct 14, 1976 | Soyuz 23 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Oct 14, 1976 | Marisat-3 USA • Delta 2914 | |||
Oct 15, 1976 | Meteor 1-26 Russia • Vostok 2M | |||
Oct 17, 1976 | Kosmos 860 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Oct 21, 1976 | Kosmos 861 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Oct 22, 1976 | Kosmos 862 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Oct 25, 1976 | Kosmos 863 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Oct 26, 1976 | Ekran #11L Russia • Proton K/DM 8K82K/11S86 | |||
Oct 29, 1976 | Kosmos 864 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
| November | ||||
Nov 1, 1976 | Kosmos 865 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Nov 11, 1976 | Kosmos 866 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Nov 23, 1976 | Kosmos 867 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Nov 25, 1976 | Prognoz 5 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Nov 26, 1976 | Kosmos 868 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Nov 29, 1976 | Kosmos 869 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
| December | ||||
Dec 2, 1976 | Kosmos 870 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 2, 1976 | Molniya 2-16 Russia • Molniya M | |||
Dec 7, 1976 | Kosmos 871-878 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 7, 1976 | FSW-0 No.2 China • Long March 2 | |||
Dec 9, 1976 | Kosmos 880 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 9, 1976 | Kosmos 879 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Dec 15, 1976 | Kosmos 883 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 15, 1976 | Kosmos 881 Russia • Proton K 8K82K | |||
Dec 17, 1976 | Kosmos 885 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 17, 1976 | Kosmos 884 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Dec 19, 1976 | OPS-5705 USA • Titan III(23)D | |||
Dec 27, 1976 | Kosmos 886 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Dec 28, 1976 | Kosmos 887 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 28, 1976 | Molniya 3-17L Russia • Molniya M | |||