| Designation |
Date |
Country |
Event |
| Deep Impact |
January 12 |
United States |
Launch on a Delta 2 to comet Tempel 1 where the probe�s "Impactor" part slammed into the comet on July 4 for analysis, observed by the "Flyby" part and Earth telescopes. |
| Progress M-52/17P |
February 28 |
Russia |
Uncrewed logistics cargo/resupply mission to the International Space Station ISS, on a Soyuz-U rocket |
| Soyuz TMA-6IISS-10S |
April 14 |
Russia |
Launch of the 5th ISS crew rotation flight on a Soyuz-FG, bringing the Expedition 11 crew of Sergei Krikalev & John Phillips, plus 8-day visitor Roberto Vittori from ESA |
| DART |
April 15 |
United States |
Airborne launch of NASA spacecraft "Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology" on a Pegasus XL, but mission failed in space and was not completed |
| Progress M-53/18P |
June 16 |
Russia |
Uncrewed logistics cargo/resupply mission to the International Space Station ISS, on a Soyuz-U rocket |
| Suzaku |
July 10 |
Japan |
Launch of the Astro-E2 "Suzaku" ("red bird of the south") X-ray astronomy satellite on an M-V rocket from JAXA's Uchinoura Space Center (Japan's 5th X-ray satellite). |
| STS-114 (Discovery) |
July 26 |
United States |
The much awaited Shuttle "Return to Flight" Mission to ISS after loss of "Columbia" in 2003
With successful tests new safety equipment during a 13d 21h mission, with three EVAs. |
| FSW 21 |
August 2 |
P.R. of China |
Successful launch of the recoverable Fanhui Shi Weixing (FSW) 21 imaging satellite on a Long March 2C (CZ-2C) rocket |
| MRO |
August 12 |
United States |
NASA launch of the "Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter" to the Red Planet on a Atlas 5 rocket, to arrive in Mars orbit in March 2006, joining five other active Mars spacecraft |
| FSW 22 |
August 29 |
P.R. of China |
Successful launch of the recoverable Fanhui Shi Weixing (FSW) 22 imaging satellite on a Long March 2C (CZ-2C) rocket |
| Progress M-54/19P |
September 8 |
Russia |
Uncrewed logistics cargo/resupply mission to the International Space Station ISS, on a Soyuz-U rocket |
| Soyuz TMA-7IISS-11S |
September 30 |
Russia |
Launch of the 6th ISS crew rotation flight on a Soyuz-FG, bringing the Expedition 12 crew of William McArthur & Valery Tokarev, plus 8-day "space tourist" Gregory Olsen (USA). |
| Shenzhou 6 |
October 12 |
P.R. of China |
Second flight of a crewed spacecraft on a CZ-2F, this time carrying two "Taikonauts", Fei Junlong & Nie Haisheng, safely to orbit and return on a flight lasting of 115h 32m. |
| Venus Express |
November 9 |
Europe/Russia |
Soyuz/Fregat launch at Baikonur of the first European/ESA exploration probe to orbit the planet Venus, to arrive on April 11, 2006, for observation of the planet from orbit |
| Progress M-55/20P |
December 21 |
Russia |
Uncrewed logistics cargo/resupply mission to the International Space Station ISS, on a Soyuz-U rocket |
| GIOVE-A |
December 28 |
Europe/Russia |
Soyuz-FG launch at Baikonur of first European-built test satellite for the European GNSS (Galileo Navigation Satellite System), to replace the U.S. GPS for European users. |
