1966 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1966, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
141
Total Launches
126
Successful Launches
15
Failed Launches
89.36%
Success Rate
11
Humans launched to space
Notable 1966 Achievements
How 1966 Compares to Previous Years
There were 126 successful launch attempts in 1966 and 15 failed launch attempts. These figures include test/development launches, which are more prone to failure.
Rocket Launches by Year
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Nation in 1966
In 1966, companies and agencies from 4 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (85 launches), Russia (53 launches) and Japan (2 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1966
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1966
5 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1966, including United States Air Force (73 launches), Soviet Space Program (53 launches) and NASA (12 launches).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1966 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1966
40 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1966. The top 3 were the Atlas SLV-3 Agena D (24 launches), Voskhod (14 launches) and Vostok 8A92 (10 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1966 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1966
Rockets launched from 10 Launch Sites in 1966. The most active launch sites were Vandenberg SFB (46 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (38 launches) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (33 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 1966
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1966
In 1966, humans from only 1 nation were launched into space. This nation was and the United States (11 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1966
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1966
We launched off to 5 different locations beyond earth in 1966 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (113 launches), The Moon (11 launches) and Suborbital (10 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1966
By RocketLaunch.org
That's a wrap! 👏
Don't forget to share this recap with fellow space-enthusiasts! And if you want more, view our Space Age Timeline to access all our annual recaps.
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