This article outlines notable events occurring in 1996 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.
Intelsat 708 launch failure
Orbital 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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June
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July
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August
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September
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October
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November
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December
Suborbital launches
|colspan=8| January-March
|colspan=8| April-June
|colspan=8| July-September
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October-December
Deep-space rendezvous Date (GMT)SpacecraftEventRemarks27 June Galileo 1st flyby of Ganymede6 September Galileo 2nd flyby of Ganymede4 November Galileo 1st flyby of Callisto19 December Galileo 1st flyby of Europa
EVAs Start date/timeDurationEnd timeSpacecraftCrewRemarks15 January05:356 hours9 minutes11:44STS-72Leroy ChiaoDaniel T. BarryPracticed construction techniques for the upcoming International Space Station. The activities included installing a cable tray, hooking up cables and fluid lines, handling small screws and bolts in the screw, and grappling large objects at the end of the robotic arm.17 January05:406 hours12:34STS-72EndeavourLeroy ChiaoWinston E. ScottContinued testing of construction techniques with utility boxes, slidewires and a portable work stanchion attached to the robotic arm. Scott also tested the heating capabilities of his spacesuit by riding the robotic arm into a cold night zone while Endeavours payload bay was oriented toward space.8 February14:033 hours5 minutes17:08Mir EO-20Kvant-2Thomas ReiterYuri GidzenkoMoved a YMK maneuvering unit from the Kvant-2 airlock and secured it on the module exterior. Then collected experiments deployed earlier on the ESEF. The team was unable to remove an antenna from Kristall when they were unable to loosen some bolts on the antenna.15 March01:045 hours51 minutes06:55Mir EO-21Kvant-2Yury OnufriyenkoYury UsachovTo improve access to the outside of the Kristall module, Onufriyenko and Usachev installed a second Strela boom on the Mir base block. Also prepared cables and connectors for the future installation of the Mir Cooperative Solar Array.27 March06:346 hours2 minutes12:36STS-76Mir Linda M. GodwinAdded four canisters of experiments, called the Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP), to the outside of docking module. Also tested new tethers and foot restraints for future use on Mir and the upcoming ISS assembly. First Shuttle-Mir EVA and EVA performed from a Space Shuttle docked at a space station.20 May22:506 hours20 minutes21 May04:10Mir EO-21Kvant-2Yury OnufriyenkoYury UsachovMoved the Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) from its stowage position on Kristal to a final location on Kvant-1, and prepared the array for complete deployment. Also released a balloon shaped like a large Pepsi can, and filmed it for a television commercial.24 May20:476 hours43 minutes25 May02:30Mir EO-21Kvant-2Yury OnufriyenkoYury UsachovCompleted deployment of the Mir Cooperative Solar Array (MCSA) on the Kvant-1 module.30 May18:204 hours20 minutes22:40Mir EO-21Kvant-2Yury OnufriyenkoYury UsachovInstalled the German made Modular Optoelectronic Multispectral Scanner (MOMS) camera to the exterior of the Priroda module. Also installed a new handrail on the exterior of Kvant-2 to aid future spacewalks.6 June16:563 hours34 minutes20:30Mir EO-21Kvant-2Yury OnufriyenkoYury UsachovInstalled two American micrometeoroid detector experiments to the exterior of Kvant-2. Also replaced a cassette for the Komza experiment of the surface of Spektr.13 June12:455 hours42 minutes18:27Mir EO-21Kvant-2Yury OnufriyenkoYury UsachovInstalled the Rapana girder to the exterior of Kvant-1 in anticipation of mounting future experiments to the girder. Also manually deployed the Travers radar on the surface of Priroda.2 December15:545 hours58 minutes21:52Mir EO-22Kvant-2Valery KorzunAleksandr KaleriSuccessfully connected electrical cables to the solar panels on surface installed on Kvant-1.9 December13:506 hours38 minutes20:28Mir EO-22Kvant-2Valery KorzunAleksandr KaleriCompleted the construction of the Rapana truss structure and the installed the Kurs docking antenna. Also fixed an amateur radio antenna that had loosened.
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