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This was the final year of the Soviet Union, and thus the end of the Cold War competition between the two space superpowers. The number of launches subsequently declined in the 1990s, and2018 was the first year since 1990 to have more than 100 orbital launches.
 The crew ofSTS-37 deploys theCompton Gamma Ray Observatory. | |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 8 January |
| Last | 28 December |
| Total | 91 |
| Successes | 86 |
| Failures | 3 |
| Partial failures | 2 |
| National firsts | |
| Space traveller |  Austria United Kingdom |
| Rockets | |
| Maiden flights | Ariane 4 44P Atlas II |
| Retirements | Vostok-2M |
| Crewed flights | |
| Orbital | 8 |
| Total travellers | 36 |
| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 October | Galileo | First flyby ofasteroid -951 Gaspra | Closest approach: 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) |
| Start date/time | Duration | End time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 January 17:03 | 5 hours 18 minutes | 22:21 | MirEO-8 |  Viktor AfanasyevMusa Manarov | Successfully repaired the damaged hatch on theKvant-2 airlock and also positioned equipment for installation in a later EVA. |
| 23 January 10:59 | 5 hours 33 minutes | 16:32 | Mir EO-8 Kvant-2 | Viktor AfanasyevMusa Manarov | Installed the new Stela boom on thebase block. |
| 26 January 09:00 | 6 hours 20 minutes | 15:20 | Mir EO-8 Kvant-2 | Viktor AfanasyevMusa Manarov | Installed supports onKvant-1 to hold the solar arrays installed onKristall. |
| 7 April | 4 hours 26 minutes | STS-37 Atlantis |  Jerry L. RossJerome Apt | When the boom antenna on theGRO satellite would not extend, Ross and Apt exited the shuttle on an unplanned EVA to extend the boom to prepare for final release into orbit.[1] | |
| 8 April | 5 hours 47 minutes | STS-37 Atlantis | Jerry L. RossJerome Apt | Installed and tested several monorail-type mobility tools for future space station construction.[1] | |
| 25 April 20:29 | 3 hours 34 minutes | 26 April 00:03 | Mir EO-8 Kvant-2 | Viktor AfanasyevMusa Manarov | Inspected and filmed theKurs antenna onKvant-1, finding that one of the antenna dishes was missing and then re-installed the camera onKvant-2 that was removed and repaired. |
| 24 June 21:11 | 4 hours 58 minutes | 25 June 02:09 | MirEO-9 Kvant-2 | Anatoly ArtsebarskySergei Krikalyov | Replaced the damaged Kurs antenna onKvant-1 and performed assembly tests on an experimental structural joint. |
| 28 June 19:02 | 3 hours 24 minutes | 22:26 | Mir EO-9 Kvant-2 | Anatoly ArtsebarskySergei Krikalyov | Attached TREK, a type of cosmic ray detector developed at theUniversity of California, to the outside of Mir.[2] |
| 15 July 11:45 | 5 hours 56 minutes | 17:41 | Mir EO-9 Kvant-2 | Anatoly ArtsebarskySergei Krikalyov | Moved ladders and the base platform parts for the Sofora girder using the Strela boom from the airlock atKvant-2 and installed them onKvant-1. |
| 19 July 11:10 | 5 hours 28 minutes | 16:38 | Mir EO-9 Kvant-2 | Anatoly ArtsebarskySergei Krikalyov | Started construction of the Sofora girder by installing three of 20 structural pieces. |
| 23 July 09:15 | 5 hours 42 minutes | 14:57 | Mir EO-9 Kvant-2 | Anatoly ArtsebarskySergei Krikalyov | Continued the construction of the Sofora girder by installing eleven more of the 20 girder pieces. |
| 27 July 08:44 | 6 hours 49 minutes | 15:33 | Mir EO-9 Kvant-2 | Anatoly ArtsebarskySergei Krikalyov | Completed assembly of the Sofora girder and mounted a small Russian flag on top of the structure. Artsebarsky had trouble with fogging on his visor, due to overexertion, but Krikalyov was able to lead him back to the airlock. |
