The year 1986 saw the destruction of
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' (OV-099) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the commanding ship of a nineteenth-century scientific expedition that traveled the world, ''Challenge ...
shortly after lift-off, killing all seven aboard,
the first in-flight deaths of American astronauts. This accident followed the successful flight of
Columbia just weeks earlier,
and dealt a major setback to the U.S. crewed space program, suspending the Shuttle program for 32 months.
The year also saw numerous fly-bys of
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet or Comet Halley, officially designated 1P/Halley, is a short-period comet visible from Earth every 75–79 years. Halley is the only known short-period comet that is regularly visible to the naked eye from Earth, and thus the on ...
as well as other successes.
Launches
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January
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February
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March
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April
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May
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August
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September
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November
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December
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Deep space rendezvous
EVAs
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:1986 In Spaceflight
Spaceflight by year