Launched at 1429 hours EST from AMR. The flight was successful, the impact point was 445 metres long and 452 meters to the right of the predicted impact point, giving a radial miss distance of. 634 meters. This was the first flight test of the NAA A-6 engine with a sea level thrust of 78,000 pounds. Missed aimpoint by 572 m.

First flight with propellant in tank 4 of the cruise stage. Boosters featured an improved main engines without OT-155 valve (S2.1150 replacing S2.1100). The cruise stage used the improved RD-012U ramjet in place of the previous RD-012. The first stage operated faultlessly and separation was normal without vibrations. Ignition of the cruise stage occurred at Mach 2.87 at 16.8 km altitude. The SVD Air Sensor System worked abnormally, so the decision was made to disconnect the SVD sensors and fly the mission using only the astronavigation system and hold inertial velocity to Mach 3.15-3.2. The flight continued to T+10 minutes 17 seconds and the planned flight program was completed.

An Atlas F/Burner IIA launch vehicle, carrying SAMSO's Space Test Program Flight 72-1, was launched from Vandenberg. This was the first use of this booster/upper stage combination. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

An Atlas F/Burner IIA launch vehicle, carrying SAMSO's Space Test Program Flight 72-1, was launched from Vandenberg. This was the first use of this booster/upper stage combination. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

Death of Valentin Stepanovich Varlamov at Moscow, Russia. Hemorrhage in the brain after an accident at home. Russian pilot cosmonaut, 1960-1961. Left team after fracturing a vertebra in a diving accident in July 1960. Worked in the Soviet space program as a flight instructor for new cosmonauts within the TsPK.

"Harvey Mudd College Claremont Fight Song" , sung to tune of"Mickey Mouse Club" by eight HMC students with intro by Robin Williams. Harvey Mudd is the alma mater of mission specialist Pinky Nelson. He commented afterwards:"There isn't a dry eye in the house"

Manned three crew. Docked with Mir. Mir Expedition EO-10. Transported to the Mir manned orbital station an international crew comprising the cosmonauts A Volkov (USSR), T Aubakirov (USSR) and F. Viehbock (Austria), to conduct joint scientific and technical research with the cosmonauts A. Artsebarsky and S Krikalev. Austria paid $ 7 million for mission. Kazakh cosmonaut added at last minute.