1972 in spaceflight
# 1972 in spaceflight

1972 saw humanity's last crewed mission to the Moon of the 20th century, Apollo 17.

## Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1972.

| Launch date/time | Rocket | Launch site | Launch contractor | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Mission/ function | Reentry/ destruction | Outcome | Remarks |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| January 23 00:12 GMT | Atlas SLV-3C Centaur | LC-36B, Cape Canaveral | | Intelsat 4 F-4 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Comsat | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| January 31 17:20 GMT | Thor Delta L | SLC-2E, Vandenberg AFB | | HEOS 2 | ESRO | High eccentricity LEO/HEO | Particle and field research | August 2, 1974 | Successful | Final flight of Thor Delta L |
| February 14 03:27 GMT | Proton 8K82K | LC-81, Baikonur | RVSN | Luna 20 | RVSN | Lunar | Lunar sample return | February 21, 1972 (at Moon) | Successful | |
| March 3 01:49 GMT | Atlas SLV-3C Centaur | LC-36A, Cape Canaveral | | Pioneer 10 | NASA | Heliocentric to Solar Escape | Jupiter flyby | N/A | Successful | First spacecraft to cross asteroid belt First flyby of Jupiter First probe to leave Solar System |
| March 12 01:55 GMT | Thor Delta N | SLC-2E, Vandenberg AFB | | TD-1A | ESRO | LEO | Technology research | January 9, 1980 | Successful | Final flight of Thor Delta N |
| March 24 08:46 GMT | Thor Burner II | SLC-10W, Vandenberg AFB | US Air Force | DMSP 5B F2 | US Air Force | LEO | Weather satellite | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| April 16 17:45 GMT | Saturn V | LC-39A, Kennedy | NASA | Apollo 16 CSM "Casper" 3 astronauts | NASA | Lunar | Crewed Lunar orbiter | April 27, 1972 | Successful | Penultimate Moonshot |
| April 16 17:45 GMT | Saturn V | LC-39A, Kennedy | NASA | Apollo 16 lunar module "Orion" | NASA | Lunar | Crewed Lunar landing | April 20, 1972 14:23 GMT (at Moon) | Successful | |
| April 16 17:45 GMT | Saturn V | LC-39A, Kennedy | NASA | Apollo 16 Subsatellite | NASA | Lunar | Study lunar particles | May 29, 1972 (at Moon) | Partial Failure | Deployed on April 24 Placed in wrong orbit, shorter lifespan than planned |
| April 19 21:43 GMT | Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H | SLC-3W, Vandenberg AFB | US Air Force | KH-4B 1116 | US Air Force | LEO | Surveillance satellite | May 12, 1972 | | |
| May 25 18:41 GMT | Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H | SLC-3W, Vandenberg AFB | US Air Force | KH-4B 1117 | US Air Force | LEO | Surveillance satellite | June 4, 1972 | Successful | Final flight of Thorad Agena-D SLV-2H |
| June 13 21:53 GMT | Atlas SLV-3C Centaur | LC-36B, Cape Canaveral | | Intelsat 4 F-5 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Comsat | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| June 26 14:53 GMT | R-7 11A511 (Soyuz/A-2) | LC-1/5, Baikonur | RVSN | Kosmos 496 (Soyuz 7K-T) | RVSN | LEO | Test redesigned Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft | July 2, 1972 | Successful | |
| July 23 18:41 GMT | Delta 0100 (0900) | SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB | | Landsat 1 | NASA | LEO | Earth resources satellite | Still in orbit | Successful | Maiden flight of Delta 0100 |
| August 21 10:28 GMT | Atlas SLV-3C Centaur | LC-36B, Cape Canaveral | | OAO 3 | NASA | LEO | Ultraviolet astronomy | Still in orbit | Successful | Final flight of Atlas SLV-3C Centaur |
| September 23 01:20 GMT | Delta 1000 (1604) | LC-17B, Cape Canaveral | | Explorer 47 | NASA | HEO | Magnetosphere research satellite | Still in orbit | Successful | Maiden flight of Delta 1000 Maiden flight of Extended Long-Tank Thor |
| October 2 20:09 GMT | Atlas F | BMRS-A1, Vandenberg AFB | US Air Force | OPS 8180 (RADCAT) | US Air Force | LEO | Technology research | 2 August 2012 | Successful | |
| October 2 20:09 GMT | Atlas F | BMRS-A1, Vandenberg AFB | US Air Force | Radsat | US Air Force | LEO | Technology research | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| October 15 17:19 GMT | Delta 0100 (0300) | SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB | | NOAA 2 (ITOS-B) | NOAA | LEO | Weather satellite | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| October 15 17:19 GMT | Delta 0100 (0300) | SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB | | Amsat-Oscar 6 | Amsat | LEO | Amateur comsat | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| November 9 03:23 GMT | Thor Burner II | SLC-10W, Vandenberg AFB | US Air Force | DMSP 5B F3 | US Air Force | LEO | Weather satellite | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| November 10 01:14 GMT | Delta 1000 (1914) | LC-17B, Cape Canaveral | | Anik A1 | Telesat | Geosynchronous | Comsat | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| December 7 05:33 GMT | Saturn V | LC-39A, Kennedy | NASA | Apollo 17 CSM "America" 3 astronauts | NASA | Lunar | Crewed Lunar orbiter | December 19, 1971 | Successful | Final Moonshot Final flight of Saturn V |
| December 7 05:33 GMT | Saturn V | LC-39A, Kennedy | NASA | Apollo 17 lunar module "Challenger" | NASA | Lunar | Crewed Lunar landing | December 14, 1971 GMT (at Moon) | Successful | Final Moonshot Final flight of Saturn V |
| December 11 07:56 GMT | Delta 0100 (0900) | SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB | | Nimbus 5 | NASA | LEO | Environmental research satellite | Still in orbit | Successful | |
| December 16 | Scout | Western Space and Missile Center at Vandenberg AFB | NASA | Aeros 1 | NASA | | | | Successful | |
| December 20 22:20 GMT | Atlas-Agena SLV-3A | LC-13, Cape Canaveral | US Air Force | OPS 9390 Canyon 5 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Military Comsat | Still in orbit | Successful | |

## Launches from the Moon

| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 22 February 22:58 | Luna 20 Ascent stage | Luna 20 Ascent stage | | Terra Apollonius (Luna) | Terra Apollonius (Luna) | | |
| 22 February 22:58 | | Luna 16 Return capsule | | Highly elliptical | Sample return | 25 February | Successful |
| Second uncrewed lunar sample return mission ||||||
| 24 April 01:25:47 | Lunar Module Ascent Stage | Lunar Module Ascent Stage | | Descartes Highlands (Luna) | Descartes Highlands (Luna) | NASA | NASA |
| 24 April 01:25:47 | | Apollo 16 LM | NASA | Selenocentric (CSM) | Crewed | Unknown | Successful |
| Carrying two astronauts back to CSM after lunar landing ||||||
| 14 December 22:54:37 | Lunar Module Ascent Stage | Lunar Module Ascent Stage | | Taurus-Littrow (Luna) | Taurus-Littrow (Luna) | NASA | NASA |
| 14 December 22:54:37 | | Apollo 17 LM | NASA | Selenocentric (CSM) | Crewed | 15 December 06:50 | Successful |
| Carrying two astronauts back to CSM after lunar landing ||||||

## Deep space rendezvous in 1972

* February 21 – Luna 20, 55g from Apollonius Crater (sample return mission)
* April 21 – Apollo 16, 95 kg from Descartes Highlands (sample return mission)
* July 22 – Venera 8 atmospheric probe worked for 50 min on the Venerian surface
* December 11 – Apollo 17, 111 kg from Taurus–Littrow (sample return mission)
