Editing 1971 in science (section)

==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 crewed [[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 Moon's surface.
* November 13 – [[Mariner program]]: [[Mariner 9]] enters [[Mars]] orbit.