Dec 4 Delta II 7925
Success
Mars Pathfinder lands the first rover to drive on Mars
Pathfinder bounced down on airbags on July 4, 1997. Its rover, Sojourner, studied nearby rocks for almost three months.
Rocket launches in1996
February 14 brings the worst launch disaster in years: a Long March 3B carrying Intelsat 708 veers off course and crashes into a village near Xichang. On June 4, the maiden Ariane 5 Flight 501 self-destructs about 37 seconds after lift-off when an integer overflow in its guidance software sends the rocket off course, though Ariane keeps flying 11 times — and NASA dispatches both Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Pathfinder before December is out.
Monthly Cadence complete
FEB peak 10 launches ↓ 3% vs 1995
- launches
- 78
- success · 70/78
- 90%
- providers
- 2
1996 launch leaders
Providers
1996 highlights
Feb 14 Long March 3B
Failure
China's new Long March 3B crashes near a village on its first flight
China reported six dead. A US satellite maker that helped review the crash was later fined, and Congress put satellites under arms-export rules.
Feb 17 Delta II 7925-8
Success
NEAR becomes the first spacecraft to orbit and land on an asteroid
NEAR circled the asteroid Eros for a year from 2000. Then it touched down on Eros, although it was built only to orbit.
Mar 22 Space Shuttle
Success
Shannon Lucid moves into Russia's Mir station for six months
Her 188 days in space were then the longest flight by any American and by any woman. Delays to her ride home added six weeks.
Jun 4 Ariane 5 G
Failure
Ariane 5 self-destructs under 40 seconds into its maiden flight
Reused Ariane 4 software overflowed a 16-bit integer, destroying the four Cluster satellites built to study Earth's magnetosphere.
Nov 7 Delta II 7925
Success
Mars Global Surveyor orbits Mars for nine years
The orbiter worked from 1997 until 2006. Its cameras found gullies on crater walls that suggested liquid water had flowed on Mars recently.
Nov 16 Proton K/D-2 8K82K/11S824F
Failure
Russia loses Mars 96, its first deep-space probe since the Soviet era
The probe never left Earth orbit and fell back over Chile and Bolivia. Russia did not launch another deep-space probe until Phobos-Grunt in 2011.
All 1996 launches
Quick filters
78 launches
| January | ||||
Jan 11, 1996 | STS-72 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
Jan 12, 1996 | Panamsat-3R France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44L | |||
Jan 14, 1996 | Koreasat-2 USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
Jan 16, 1996 | Kosmos 2327 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Jan 25, 1996 | Gorizont #43L Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
| February | ||||
Feb 1, 1996 | Palapa C1 USA • Atlas IIAS | |||
Feb 5, 1996 | N-Star B France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44P | |||
Feb 11, 1996 | HYFLEX Japan • J-I | |||
Feb 14, 1996Failure | Intelsat 708 China • Long March 3B | |||
Feb 17, 1996 | NEAR USA • Delta II 7925-8 | |||
Feb 19, 1996 | Kosmos 2328 Russia • Tsyklon 3 | |||
Feb 19, 1996Failure | Gran' #44L Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Feb 21, 1996 | Soyuz TM-23 Russia • Soyuz TM | |||
Feb 22, 1996 | STS-75 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
Feb 24, 1996 | Polar USA • Delta II 7925-10 | |||
| March | ||||
Mar 9, 1996 | REX II USA • Pegasus XL | |||
Mar 14, 1996 | Intelsat 707 France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44LP | |||
Mar 14, 1996 | Kosmos 2331 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Mar 21, 1996 | IRS-P3 India • PSLV G | |||
Mar 22, 1996 | STS-76 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
Mar 28, 1996 | USA-117 USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
| April | ||||
Apr 3, 1996 | Inmarsat 3-F1 USA • Atlas IIA | |||
Apr 8, 1996 | Astra 1F Russia • Proton K/DM3 8K82K/11S861-01 | |||
Apr 20, 1996 | M-SAT-1 France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 42P | |||
Apr 23, 1996 | Priroda Russia • Proton K 8K82K | |||
Apr 24, 1996 | Kosmos 2332 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Apr 24, 1996 | MSX USA • Delta II 7920-10 | |||
Apr 24, 1996 | USA-118 USA • Titan IV(401)A | |||
Apr 30, 1996 | BeppoSAX USA • Atlas I | |||
| May | ||||
May 5, 1996 | Progress M-31 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 12, 1996 | USA-119 USA • Titan IV(403)A | |||
May 14, 1996Failure | Yantar-1KFT Russia • Soyuz U | |||
May 16, 1996 | Palapa C2 France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44L | |||
May 17, 1996 | MSTI-3 USA • Pegasus Hybrid | |||
May 19, 1996 | STS-77 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
May 24, 1996 | Galaxy 9 USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
May 25, 1996 | Gorizont #44L Russia • Proton K/DM-2 8K82K/11S861 | |||
| June | ||||
Jun 4, 1996Failure | Cluster FM-1 France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 G | |||
Jun 15, 1996 | Intelsat 709 France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44P | |||
Jun 20, 1996 | STS-78 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
Jun 20, 1996Failure | Yantar-4K1 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
| July | ||||
Jul 2, 1996 | TOMS-EP USA • Pegasus XL | |||
Jul 3, 1996 | USA-125 USA • Titan IV(405)A | |||
Jul 3, 1996 | Apstar 1A China • Long March 3 | |||
Jul 9, 1996 | Arabsat-2A France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44L | |||
Jul 16, 1996 | USA-126 USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
Jul 25, 1996 | USA-127 USA • Atlas II | |||
Jul 31, 1996 | Progress M-32 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
| August | ||||
Aug 8, 1996 | Italsat F2 France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44L | |||
Aug 14, 1996 | Molniya-1T Russia • Molniya M | |||
Aug 17, 1996 | ADEOS Japan • H2 | |||
Aug 17, 1996 | Soyuz TM-24 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Aug 18, 1996Partial failure | Chinasat-7 China • Long March 3 | |||
Aug 21, 1996 | FAST USA • Pegasus XL | |||
Aug 29, 1996 | Microsat Russia • Molniya M | |||
| September | ||||
Sep 4, 1996 | Kosmos 2333 Russia • Zenit 2 | |||
Sep 5, 1996 | Kosmos 2334 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Sep 6, 1996 | Inmarsat-3 F2 Russia • Proton K/DM1 8K82K/11S861 | |||
Sep 8, 1996 | GE-1 USA • Atlas IIA | |||
Sep 11, 1996 | Echostar-2 France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 42P | |||
Sep 12, 1996 | USA-128 USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
Sep 16, 1996 | STS-79 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
Sep 26, 1996 | Ekspress #12L Russia • Proton K/DM-2M 8K82K/11S861-01 | |||
| October | ||||
Oct 20, 1996 | FSW-2 No.3 China • Long March 2D | |||
Oct 24, 1996 | Molniya 3-48 Russia • Molniya M | |||
| November | ||||
Nov 4, 1996Failure | HETE USA • Pegasus XL | |||
Nov 7, 1996 | Mars Global Surveyor USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
Nov 13, 1996 | Arabsat-2B France • Arianespace • Ariane 4 44L | |||
Nov 16, 1996Failure | Mars 96 Russia • Proton K/D-2 8K82K/11S824F | |||
Nov 19, 1996 | STS-80 USA • Space Shuttle | |||
Nov 19, 1996 | Progress M-33 Russia • Soyuz U | |||
Nov 21, 1996 | Hot Bird 2 USA • Atlas IIA | |||
| December | ||||
Dec 4, 1996 | Mars Pathfinder USA • Delta II 7925 | |||
Dec 11, 1996 | Kosmos 2335 Russia • Tsyklon 2 | |||
Dec 18, 1996 | Inmarsat 3-F3 USA • Atlas IIA | |||
Dec 20, 1996 | Kosmos 2336 Russia • Kosmos 3M | |||
Dec 20, 1996 | NROL-2 USA • Titan IV(404)A | |||
Dec 24, 1996 | Bion 11 Russia • Soyuz U | |||