1972 in spaceflight

{{Wikipedia:WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight/Cleanup|incomplete=yes|refs=yes|date=yes|template=yes}}

1972 saw humanity's last crewed mission to the Moon of the 20th century, Apollo 17.

Launches

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

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
January
January 12 09:59	Template:FlagiconVoskhod			Template:FlagiconBaikonur, LC-31/6		Template:FlagiconRVSN
		Template:FlagiconKosmos 471 (Zenit 4M/Rotor)	GRU	Low Earth orbit	Reconnaissance	January 25, 1972	Successful
January 20 18:36	Template:FlagiconTitan IIID			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-4E
		Template:FlagiconKH-9 2 (Hexagon 2)	USAF	LEO	Reconnaissance	29 February 1972	Successful
		Template:FlagiconMabeli (OPS 7719)	USAF	LEO	ELINT	17 April 1979	Successful
January 23 00:12	Template:FlagiconAtlas SLV-3C Centaur-D		AC-28	Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-36B
		Template:FlagiconIntelsat 4 F-4	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful
25 January 11:15	Template:FlagiconKosmos-2			Template:FlagiconPlesetsk, Site 133/1		Template:FlagiconRVSN
		Template:FlagiconKosmos 472 (DS-P1-Yu No. 52)	RVSN	LEO	Radar calibration	18 August 1972	Successful
January 31 17:20	Template:FlagiconDelta L		D-87	Vandenberg AFB, SLC-2E
		HEOS 2	ESRO	High eccentricity LEO/HEO	Particle and field research	August 2, 1974	Successful
		Final flight of Delta L
February
8 February 05:59	Template:Flagicon K63D			Template:Flagicon Vladimirovka test range, near Kapustin Yar
		Template:Flagicon BOR-2 No.104		Suborbital	Re-entry test for Spiral program	8 February	Successful
		Subscale model of the Spiral spaceplane. Apogee: 100 km
February 14 03:27	Template:FlagiconProton-K/Blok D (8K82K)			Template:FlagiconBaikonur, LC-81/24		Template:FlagiconRVSN
		Template:FlagiconLuna 20		Lunar	Lunar sample return	February 21, 1972 (at Moon)	Successful
March
March 3 01:49	Template:FlagiconAtlas SLV-3C Centaur/Star 37E		AC-27	Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-36A
		Template:FlagiconPioneer 10	NASA	Heliocentric to Solar Escape	Jupiter flyby	In orbit	Successful
		First spacecraft to cross asteroid belt. First flyby of Jupiter. First probe to leave Solar System
March 12 01:55	Template:FlagiconDelta N		D-88	Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-2E
		TD-1A	ESRO	LEO	Technology research	January 9, 1980	Successful
		Final flight of Delta N
March 24 08:46	Template:FlagiconThor-LV2F Burner-2A			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-10W		Template:FlagiconUS Air Force
		Template:FlagiconDMSP 5B F2	US Air Force	LEO	Weather satellite	In orbit	Successful
March 27 04:15	Template:FlagiconMolniya-M/MVL			Template:FlagiconBaikonur Cosmodrome, 31/6		Template:FlagiconSoviet Union
		Template:FlagiconVenera 8	USSR	Heliocentric to Venus	Venus lander	July 22, 1972 (on Venus)	Successful
April
April 16 17:45	Template:FlagiconSaturn V			Template:FlagiconKennedy, LC-39A		Template:FlagiconNASA
		Template:FlagiconApollo 16 CSM "Casper"	NASA	Lunar	Crewed lunar orbiter	April 27, 1972	Successful
		Template:FlagiconApollo 16 lunar module "Orion"	NASA	Lunar	Crewed lunar lander	April 20, 1972 14:23 (at Moon)	Successful
		Template:FlagiconApollo 16 Subsatellite	NASA	Lunar	Lunar particles research	May 29, 1972 (at Moon)	Partial failure
		Crewed spaceflight to the Moon with 3 astronauts. Subsatellite placed in wrong orbit, shorter lifespan than planned
April 19 21:43	Template:FlagiconThorad Agena-D SLV-2H			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-3W		Template:FlagiconUS Air Force
		Template:FlagiconKH-4B 1116	USAF	LEO	Reconnaissance	May 12, 1972	Successful
May
May 25 18:41	Template:FlagiconThorad Agena-D SLV-2H			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-3W		Template:FlagiconUS Air Force
		Template:FlagiconKH-4B 1117	USAF	LEO	Reconnaissance	June 4, 1972
		Final flight of Thorad-Agena
June
June 13 21:53	Template:FlagiconAtlas SLV-3C Centaur		AC-29	Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-36B
		Template:FlagiconIntelsat 4 F-5	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful
June 26 14:53	Template:FlagiconSoyuz (11A511)			Template:FlagiconBaikonur, LC-1/5		Template:FlagiconRVSN
		Template:FlagiconKosmos 496 (Soyuz 7K-T)		LEO	Test redesigned Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft	July 2, 1972	Successful
July
July 23 18:41	Template:FlagiconDelta 0900		D-89	Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-2W
		Template:FlagiconLandsat 1	NASA	LEO	Earth resources satellite	In orbit	Successful
		Maiden flight of Delta 0100 series
August
10 August 00:32	Template:FlagiconFeng Bao 1		701-02	Template:FlagiconJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, LA-2B (Site 138)
		Template:FlagiconShiyan Peizhong		Suborbital	Test flight	T+90 seconds	Successful
		First suborbital test flight of Feng Bao 1, apogee: 200 km.
13 August 15:10	Template:FlagiconScout D-1			Template:FlagiconWallops Flight Facility, LA-3
		Template:FlagiconExplorer 46 (MTS)	NASA	LEO	Meteoroid research	2 November 1979	Successful
August 19 02:40	Template:FlagiconM-4S			Template:FlagiconKagoshima Space Center, LP-M		Template:FlagiconNASDA
		Template:FlagiconDenpa (REXS)	ISAS	Highly elliptical orbit	Magnetosphere research	19 May 1980	Spacecraft failure
		Final flight of M-4S. The satellite stopped transmitting several days after launch, due to high voltage arcing
August 21 10:28	Template:FlagiconAtlas SLV-3C Centaur		AC-22	Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-36B
		Template:FlagiconOAO 3	NASA	LEO	Ultraviolet astronomy	In orbit	Successful
		Final flight of Atlas SLV-3C Centaur
September
September 23 01:20	Template:FlagiconDelta 1604 (1604)		D-90	Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-17B
		Template:FlagiconExplorer 47	NASA	HEO	Magnetosphere research	In orbit	Successful
		Maiden flight of Delta 1000 series. Maiden flight of Extended Long-Tank Thor stage
October
October 2 20:09	Template:FlagiconAtlas F Burner II			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, BMRS-A1		Template:FlagiconUS Air Force
		Template:FlagiconOPS 8180 (RADCAT)	USAF	LEO	Radar calibration	2 August 2012	Successful
		Template:FlagiconRadsat	USAF	LEO	Gamma radiation research	In orbit	Successful
October 15 17:19	Template:FlagiconDelta 0300		D-91	Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-2W
		Template:FlagiconNOAA 2 (ITOS-B)	NOAA	LEO	Weather satellite	In orbit	Successful
		Template:FlagiconAMSAT-OSCAR 6	AMSAT	LEO	Amateur radio	In orbit	Successful
November
November 9 03:23	Template:FlagiconThor Burner II			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-10W		Template:FlagiconUS Air Force
		Template:FlagiconDMSP 5B F3	USAF	LEO	Weather	In orbit	Successful
November 10 01:14	Template:FlagiconDelta 1914		D-92	Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-17B
		Template:FlagiconAnik A1	Telesat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Successful
December
December 7 05:33	Template:FlagiconSaturn V			Template:FlagiconKennedy, LC-39A		Template:FlagiconNASA
		Template:FlagiconApollo 17 CSM "America"	NASA	Lunar	Crewed lunar orbiter	December 19, 1971	Successful
		Template:FlagiconApollo 17 lunar module "Challenger"	NASA	Lunar	Crewed lunar lander	December 14, 1971 (at Moon)	Successful
		Crewed spaceflight to the Moon with 3 astronauts. Final flight of Apollo program.
December 11 07:56	Template:FlagiconDelta 0900		D-93	Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-2W
		Template:FlagiconNimbus 5	NASA	LEO	Environmental research	In orbit	Successful
December 16 11:24	Template:FlagiconScout D-1			Template:FlagiconVandenberg AFB, SLC-5		NASA
		Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconAeros 1	NASA/BMwF			In orbit	Successful
December 20 22:20	Template:FlagiconAtlas SLV-3A Agena-D			Template:FlagiconCape Canaveral, LC-13		Template:FlagiconUS Air Force
		Template:FlagiconOPS 9390 Canyon 5	USAF	Geosynchronous	SIGINT	In orbit	Successful

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

Launches from the Moon

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload (⚀ = CubeSat)	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
22 February 22:58	Template:Flagicon Luna 20 Ascent stage			Terra Apollonius (Luna)
		Template:Flagicon Luna 20 Return capsule	Template:Flagicon	Highly elliptical	Sample return	25 February	Successful
		Second uncrewed lunar sample return mission
24 April 01:25:47	Template:Flagicon Lunar Module Ascent Stage			Descartes Highlands (Luna)		Template:Flagicon NASA
		Template:Flagicon Apollo 16 LM	NASA	Selenocentric (CSM)	Crewed	Unknown	Successful
		Carrying two astronauts back to CSM after lunar landing
14 December 22:54:37	Template:Flagicon Lunar Module Ascent Stage			Taurus-Littrow (Luna)		Template:Flagicon NASA
		Template:Flagicon Apollo 17 LM	NASA	Selenocentric (CSM)	Crewed	15 December 06:50	Successful
		Carrying two astronauts back to CSM after lunar landing

Deep space rendezvous in 1972

• February 21 – Luna 20, 55g from Apollonius Crater (sample return mission)
• April 21 – Apollo 16, 95 kg from Descartes Highlands (sample return mission)
• July 22 – Venera 8 atmospheric probe worked for 50 min on the Venerian surface
• December 11 – Apollo 17, 111 kg from Taurus–Littrow (sample return mission)

References

Generic references: