Astronomy and Space Exploration
- January 31 - Apollo program: Astronauts aboard Apollo 14 lift off for a mission to the moon.
- February 5 - Apollo 14 lands on the Moon.
- February 9 - Apollo program: Apollo 14 returns to Earth after the third manned moon landing.
- May 19 - Mars probe program: Mars 2 is launched by the Soviet Union.
- May 30 - Mariner program: Mariner 9 is launched toward Mars.
- June 30 - The crew of the Soyuz 11 spacecraft are killed when their air supply leaks out through a faulty valve during re-entry preparations, the only human deaths to occur outside Earth's atmosphere.
- July 26 - Apollo program: Launch of Apollo 15. On July 31 the Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover a day after landing on the surface.
- November 13 - Mariner program: Mariner 9 enters Mars orbit.
Read more about this topic: 1971 In Science
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