List of orbital rocket launches (2006)

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This list shows all 66 launchers starts and -startversuche of 2006 on, where an Earth orbit or escape path should be achieved. Atmospheric and suborbital test flights are not included. Manned missions and missile first flights are shown in bold .

Start list

January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December

Date ( UTC )	Missile type	Launch site	payload	Type / purpose	COSPAR ID
January 2006
Jan. 19, 2006 7:00 p.m.	Atlas V (551) first flight 551	CCAFS 41	New Horizons	Pluto space probe	01A
Jan. 24, 2006 1:33	H-IIA (2022)	TNSC Y1	ALOS	Earth observation	02A
February 2006
Feb 15, 2006 11:35 pm	Zenit-3SL	Sea launch	EchoStar 10	communication	03A
Feb 18, 2006 6:27 am	H-IIA (2024)	TNSC Y1	MTSAT-2	navigation	04A
Feb 21, 2006 9:28 pm	Mu	USC	Astro-F (Akari) Cute-1.7 + APD SSSat-1	Space Telescope Amateur Radio Technology Testing	05A 05C
Feb 28, 2006 8:10 PM	Proton / Bris	Baikonur	Arabsat 4A	communication	06A - failure
March 2006
March 11, 2006 10:33 PM	Ariane 5 ECA	CSG A-3	Hot Bird 7A SpainSAT	Communication military communication	07B 07A
March 22, 2006 2:03 p.m.	Pegasus-XL	VAFB L-1011	Space Technology 5	3 × TE	08A , 08B , 08C
March 24, 2006 10:30 PM	Falcon 1 maiden flight	Omelek	FalconSat-2	research	Failure
March 30, 2006 2:30 am	Soyuz-FG	Baikonur 1/5	Soyuz TMA-8	manned ISS mission	09A
April 2006
April 12, 2006 11:30 PM	Zenit-3SL	Sea launch	JCSAT -9	communication	10A
April 15, 2006 1:40 am	Minotaur I	VAFB 8	Formosat-3	6 × Earth observation	11A , 11B , 11C , 11D ...
April 20, 2006 8:27 PM	Atlas V (411) first flight 411	CCAFS 41	Astra 1KR	communication	12A
April 24, 2006 4:03 p.m.	Soyuz-U	Baikonur 1/5	Progress M-56	ISS supply	13A
April 25, 2006 4:47 pm	begin	Svobodny 5	EROS-B	Earth observation	14A
April 26, 2006 10:48 PM	CZ-4B	Taiyuan 7	Yaogan-1	Earth observation, reconnaissance	15A
April 28, 2006 10:02 am	Delta II 7420-10C	VAFB 2W	CloudSat Calipso	Earth observation Earth observation	16B 16A
May 2006
May 3, 2006 5:38 pm	Soyuz-U	Plesetsk 16/2	Cosmos 2420	enlightenment	17A
May 24, 2006 10:11 PM	Delta IV	CCAFS 37B	GOES N	Weather satellite	18A
May 26, 2006 6:50 pm	Schtil	Barents Sea	Compass 2	research	19A
May 27, 2006 9:09 pm	Ariane 5 ECA	CSG A-3	Satmex 6 Thaicom 5	Communication communication	20A 20B
June 2006
June 15, 2006 8:00 am	Soyuz-U	Baikonur 1/5	Resurs-DK 1	research	21A
June 17, 2006 10:44 PM	Proton / Blk.D	Baikonur 200/39	KazSat 1	communication	22A
June 18, 2006 7:50 am	Zenit-3SL	Sea launch	Galaxy 16	communication	23A
June 21, 2006 22:15	Delta II 7925	CCAFS 17A	MiTEx	2 × TE	24A , 24B
June 24, 2006 3:08 pm	Soyuz-U	Baikonur 1/5	Progress M-57	ISS supply	25A
June 25, 2006 4:00 am	Zyklon-2 last flight	Baikonur 90/20	Cosmos 2421	enlightenment	26A
June 28, 2006 3:33 am	Delta IV	VAFB 6W	NROL 22	Early warning system , research	27A
July 2006
July 4, 2006 6:37 PM	Space Shuttle Discovery	KSC 39B	STS-121 MPLM "Leonardo"	manned ISS mission ISS module	28A
July 10, 2006 12:08 pm	GSLV Mk I	SHAR 2	Insat-4C	communication	Failure
July 12, 2006 2:53 p.m.	Dnepr	Jasny 370/11	Genesis 1	Technology testing	29A
July 21, 2006 4:20 am	Molnija-M	Plesetsk 16/2	Cosmos 2422	early warning system	30A
July 26, 2006 7:43 pm	Dnepr	Baikonur 109/95	BelKA Baumanets 1 UniSat 4 PicPot HAUSAT 1 nCube-1 Merope Rincon-1 Seeds 9 Cubesats	Earth observation Technology testing Technology testing TE / training ◻ TE / training ◻ TE / AIS ◻ research ◻ TE / training TE / amateur radio ◻ TE / training ◻	Failure
July 28, 2006 7:05 am	Rockot	Plesetsk 133/3	KOMPSat-2	Earth observation	31A
August 2006
Aug 4, 2006 9:48 pm	Proton / Bris	Baikonur 200/39	Hot Bird 8	communication	32A
Aug 11, 2006 22:15	Ariane 5 ECA	CSG A-3	JCSat 10 Syracuse 3B	Communication communication	33A 33B
Aug 22, 2006 3:27 am	Zenit-3SL	Sea launch	Koreasat 5	communication	34A
September 2006
Sep 9 2006 07:00	CZ-2C	Jiuquan S-2	Shijian-8	research	35A
Sep 9 2006 3:15 pm	Space Shuttle Atlantis	KSC 39B	STS-115 ITS P3 / P4	manned ISS mission ISS structural module	36A
Sep 11 2006 04:35	H-IIA (202)	TNSC Y1	IGS-3a	enlightenment	37A
Sep 12 2006 16:02	CZ-3A	Xichang 2	Chinasat-22A	communication	38A
Sep 14 2006 13:41	Soyuz-U	Baikonur 31/6	Cosmos 2423	enlightenment	39A
Sep 18 2006 04:08	Soyuz-FG	Baikonur 1/5	Soyuz TMA-9	manned ISS mission	40A
22 Sep 2006 21:36	Mu last flight	USC	Hinode (Solar-B) Hitsat SSSat-2	Space Telescope Amateur Radio Technology Testing	41A 41F
25 Sep 2006 18:50	Delta II-7925 9.5	CCAFS 17A	GPS IIR-M2	navigation	42A
October 2006
Oct 13, 2006 8:56 pm	Ariane 5 ECA	CSG A-3	DirecTV-9S Optus D1 LDREX-2	Communication communication technology testing	43A 43B 43C
Oct 19, 2006 4:28 pm	Soyuz-2 / Fri	Baikonur 31/6	MetOp-A	Weather satellite	44A
Oct 23, 2006 1:41 p.m.	Soyuz-U	Baikonur 1/5	Progress M-58	ISS supply	45A
Oct 23, 2006 11:34 PM	CZ-4B	Taiyuan 7	Shijian-6C , -6D	2 × research	46A , 46B
Oct 26, 2006 00:52	Delta II 7925-10L	CCAFS 17B	stereo	2 × research	47A , 47B
Oct 28, 2006 4:20 pm	CZ-3B	Xichang 2	Xinnuo 2 (Sinosat 2)	communication	48A
Oct 30, 2006 11:49 PM	Zenit-3SL	Sea launch	XM 4	communication	49A
November 2006
Nov 4, 2006 1:53 p.m.	Delta IV	VAFB 6W	DMSP 17	Weather satellite	50A
Nov 8, 2006 8:01 pm	Proton / Bris	Baikonur 200/39	BADR-4	communication	51A
Nov 17, 2006 7:12 pm	Delta II 7925-9.5	CCAFS 17A	GPS IIR-M3	navigation	52A
December 2006
Dec 8, 2006 4:53 p.m.	CZ-3A	Xichang 2	Fengyun-2D	Weather satellite	53A
Dec 8, 2006 10:08 pm	Ariane 5 ECA	CSG A-3	AMC-18 WildBlue-1	Communication communication	54B 54A
Dec 10, 2006 1:47 am	Space Shuttle Discovery	KSC 39B	STS-116 ITS P5 Spacehap ANDE-FCal ANDE-MAA RAFT MEPSI	manned ISS mission ISS structural module Shuttle cargo module Research / amateur radio research / amateur radio TE / amateur radio technology testing	55A     55J 55F 55C 55B
Dec 11, 2006 11:28 PM	Proton / Bris	Baikonur 200/39	Measat 3	communication	56A
Dec. 14, 2006 9:00 p.m.	Delta II 7920-10C	VAFB 2W	NROL 21	Secret Mission	57A
16 Dec 2006 12:00	Minotaur I	MARS 0B	TacSat 2 GeneSat-1	TE / research TE / research	58A 58C
Dec 18, 2006 6:32 am	H-IIA (204) first flight 204	TNSC Y1	ETS-VIII	TE / communication	59A
Dec. 19, 2006 14:00	Cosmos-3M	Plesetsk 132/1	SAR magnifying glass 1	enlightenment	60A
Dec 24, 2006 8:34 am	Soyuz-2 / Fri	Plesetsk 43/4	Meridian 1	Military communication	61A
Dec 25, 2006 8:18 pm	Proton / Blk.D	Baikonur 81/24	3 × Glonass-M	navigation	62C , 62A , 62B
Dec 27, 2006 2:23 pm	Soyuz-2 / Fri	Baikonur 31/6	COROT	Space telescope	63A

Type / purpose: The abbreviation “TE” stands for “Technologieerprobung”, ie testing new satellite technology ; the ◻ symbol indicates CubeSats . See Satellite Types for further explanation.

Failures

1. ↑ Due to a malfunction of the Bris upper stage, the satellite was launched in too low an orbit. In March 2006 he was brought to a controlled crash.
2. ↑ A fuel leak in the lower part of the first rocket stage caused a fire which damaged the hydraulic control system of the engine. About half a minute after take-off, the engine shut down and the missile crashed onto a reef near the launch site. ( Space.com )
3. ↑ Because of an unexplained defect, too much propellant got into the engine of one of the rocket's two side boosters . The engine overheated and shut down. The missile went off course and broke about 55 seconds after take off. ( Spaceflight Now )
4. ↑ According to the official investigation report, the rocket got into an unstable flight position because of a brief hydraulic problem in the thrust vector control of one of the first stage engines. The engine was then switched off. The cause of the hydraulic problem was inadequate heat insulation on a hydraulic line. ( Kosmotras )

Further remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b} The two SSSat solar sail experiments were launched after the main payloads from the third stage of the Mu rocket, but were not identified by space surveillance; therefore they did not receive a COSPAR ID.

Web links

• Worldwide launch log - Spaceflight Now
• Orbital Launches of 2006 - Gunter's Space Page (English)
• Space Launch Report 2006 (English)
• Russian orbital launch Attempts in 2006 (English)