1970 saw Japan and China launch their first rockets and satellites. Apollo 13 was launched; after suffering an explosion in deep space it had to circumnavigate the moon and use the LM as a life boat. Apollo 13 was a successful disaster in which the crew survived. The Soviet space program launched lunar rovers this was known as the Lunokhod program this feat in technology would not be reproduced again until NASAs Sojouner rover on Mars in 1997. Also continued success of the Venera 7 Venus probes in which it became the first man-made spacecraft to successfully land on another planet and to transmit data from there back to Earth survived 23 minutes on the surface before being crushed.

Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1970.

Deep Space Rendez-vous in 1970

• April 15 Apollo 13 lunar flyby at 254 km (sample return mission)
• September 20 Luna 16, 100g from Mare Fecunditatis (sample return mission)
• October 24 Zond 8 circumlunar flight of the Moon (1,110 km)
• November 17 Luna 17 delivered Lunokhod 1 at Mare Imbrium
• December 15 Venera 7 atmospheric probe worked for 23 min on the Venerian surface

References

ja:1970 ru: 1970 fi:Luettelo vuoden 1970 miehitt m tt mist avaruuslennoista