# 1988 in spaceflight

The following is an outline of 1988 in spaceflight.

## Launches

* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →
| 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 ||||||
| 25 March | Scout G-1 | Scout G-1 | | San Marco mobile range, Kenya | San Marco mobile range, Kenya | ASI | ASI |
| 25 March | | San Marco-D/L | ASI | Low Earth | Atmospheric research | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 June 21:38:16 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 7 June 21:38:16 | | Soyuz TM-5 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EP-2 | 7 September 00:48:38 | Successful |
| Crewed flight launching three cosmonauts and landing two, computer problems during deorbit nearly resulted in loss of crew, and delayed landing by one day ||||||
| 15 June 11:19 | Ariane 4 44LP | Ariane 4 44LP | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 15 June 11:19 | | Meteosat-3 | EUMETSAT | GTO | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 June 11:19 | | PAS 1 | PanAmSat | GTO | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 June 11:19 | | AMSAT-OSCAR-13 | AMSAT | Low Earth | Amateur radio | 6 December 1996 | Successful |
| Maiden flight of the Ariane 4 rocket ||||||
| 7 July 17:38 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur site LC200/39 | Baikonur site LC200/39 | | |
| 7 July 17:38 | | Fobos 1 | | Intended: Areocentric Actual: Heliocentric | Mars orbiter | In orbit | Spacecraft failure |
| 7 July 17:38 | | stationary lander | | | Phobos lander | In orbit | Never deployed |
| Loss of communication 2 September 1988 en route to Mars ||||||
| 12 July 17:01 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur site LC200/40 | Baikonur site LC200/40 | | |
| 12 July 17:01 | | Fobos 2 | | Areocentric | Mars orbiter | In orbit | Spacecraft failure |
| 12 July 17:01 | | stationary lander | | | Phobos lander | In orbit | Never deployed |
| 12 July 17:01 | | "hopping" lander | | | Phobos lander | In orbit | Never deployed |
| Loss of communication 27 March 1989 near Phobos ||||||
| 29 August 04:23:11 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 29 August 04:23:11 | | Soyuz TM-6 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EP-3 | 21 December 09:57:00 | Successful |
| Crewed flight with three cosmonauts, one remained on Mir as part of EO-3, first Afghan space traveller ||||||
| 29 September 15:37:00 | Space Shuttle Discovery | Space Shuttle Discovery | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | United Space Alliance | United Space Alliance |
| 29 September 15:37:00 | | STS-26R | NASA | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | 3 October 16:37:11 | Successful |
| 29 September 15:37:00 | | TDRS-3 (TDRS-C) | NASA | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Crewed flight with five astronauts, first US crewed spaceflight after the Challenger accident in 1986, TDRS deployed using Inertial Upper Stage ||||||
| 15 November 03:00:02 | Energia | Energia | | Baikonur Site 110/37 | Baikonur Site 110/37 | | |
| 15 November 03:00:02 | | Buran 1K1 | | Low Earth | Test flight | 06:26 | Successful |
| 15 November 03:00:02 | | 37KB No.3770 | | Low Earth (Buran) | Test flight | 06:26 | Successful |
| Uncrewed test, only flight of Buran and final flight of Energia ||||||
| 26 November 14:49:34 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 26 November 14:49:34 | | Soyuz TM-7 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EO-4/EP-4 | 27 April 1989 02:57:58 | Successful |
| Crewed flight with three cosmonauts ||||||
| 2 December 14:30:34 | Space Shuttle Atlantis | Space Shuttle Atlantis | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | United Space Alliance | United Space Alliance |
| 2 December 14:30:34 | | STS-27R | NASA/NRO | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | 6 December 23:30:39 | Successful |
| 2 December 14:30:34 | | USA-34 (Lacrosse) | NRO/CIA | Low Earth | Radar imaging | 25 March 1997 | Successful |
| Crewed flight with five astronauts ||||||
| 11 December 00:33 | Ariane 4 44LP | Ariane 4 44LP | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 11 December 00:33 | | Skynet 4B | UK Ministry of Defence | GTO | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 December 00:33 | | Astra 1A | SES Astra | GTO | Communications | In orbit | Successful |

## Deep-space rendezvous

There were no deep-space rendezvous in 1988.