The year 1986 saw the destruction of Space Shuttle Challenger shortly after lift-off, killing all seven aboard,[1] the first in-flight deaths of American astronauts. This accident followed the successful flight of Columbia just weeks earlier,[2] and dealt a major setback to the U.S. crewed space program, suspending the Shuttle program for 32 months.[3]
The year also saw numerous fly-bys of Halley's Comet as well as other successes.
|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|colspan="8"|
|-|}
| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 January | Closest approach: | |||
| 6 March | Closest approach: | |||
| 8 March | Flyby of Halley's Comet | Closest approach: | ||
| 9 March | Flyby of Halley's Comet | Closest approach: | ||
| 11 March | Distant flyby of Halley's Comet | Closest approach: | ||
| 14 March | Flyby of Halley's Comet | Closest approach: |
| Start date/time | Duration | End time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 05:43 | 3 hours | 09:33 | Salyut 7 EO-5 | Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov | Retrieved test panels from the outside of Salyut 7 and assembled a test "girder-constructor" apparatus in preparation for work on Mir. | |
| 31 May 04:57 | 5 hours | 09:57 | Salyut 7 EO-5 | Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov | Conducted additional tests on the experimental construction equipment, including the welding of several girders joints. |