--- title: "On This Day in Space History: November 6" id: 218877 type: "post" slug: "on-this-day-in-space-history-11-06-2026" author: "NSE" published: "2026-11-06T05:00:00+00:00" modified: "2026-11-05T15:27:50+00:00" canonical: "https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/11/06/on-this-day-in-space-history-11-06-2026/" markdown_url: "https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/11/06/on-this-day-in-space-history-11-06-2026.md" description: "Space and astronomy history for November 6: 14 events." language: "en-US" category: - "Current News" - "Space Economy" - "Space History" - "Spacecraft Systems: Launch Segment" - "Timelines" post_tag: - "Launch Vehicles" - "Launches" - "Rocket Launches" - "Spacecraft" - "Spaceflight History" --- # On This Day in Space History: November 6 These events from the history of spaceflight and astronomy share today’s date. Each entry lists its source. ### 1965-11-06 – [Explorer 29 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1965-089/explorer-29-launch-1965/) Thor Delta E launched on the Explorer 29 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17A. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 1966-11-06 – [Lunar Orbiter 2 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1966-100/lunar-orbiter-2-launch-1966/) The 1966 Lunar Orbiter 2 robotic spacecraft mission, part of the Lunar Orbiter Program, was designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions. It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near-equatorial lunar orbit for data acquisition after 92.6 hours’ flight time. The initial orbit was 196 by 1,850 kilometres (122 mi × 1,150 mi) at an inclination of 11.8 degrees. The perilune was lowered to 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) five days later after 33 orbits. *Launch outcome: success* ### 1968-11-06 – [KH-8 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1968-099/kh-8-launch-1968-7/) [Titan](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2023/10/18/titan-a-strange-and-fascinating-world-with-possibilities-for-life/) IIIB launched on the KH-8 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC4W. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 1970-11-06 – [DSP 1 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1970-093/dsp-1-launch-1970/) [Titan](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2023/10/18/titan-a-strange-and-fascinating-world-with-possibilities-for-life/) IIIC launched on the DSP 1 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC40. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 1973-11-06 – [NOAA 3 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1973-086/noaa-3-launch-1973/) Delta 0300 launched on the NOAA 3 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2W. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 1997-11-06 – [USA 134 (GPS IIA-28) – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1997-067/usa-134-gps-iia-28-launch-1997/) Delta 7925 launched on the USA 134 (GPS IIA-28) flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17A. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 1998-11-06 – [Iridium MS-11 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-1998-066/iridium-ms-11-launch-1998/) Delta 7920-10C launched on the Iridium MS-11 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2W. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2004-11-06 – [ZY-2C – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2004-044/zy-2c-launch-2004/) Chang Zheng 4B launched on the ZY-2C flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC7. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2004-11-06 – [USA 180 (GPS IIR-13) – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2004-045/usa-180-gps-iir-13-launch-2004/) Delta 7925-9.5 launched on the USA 180 (GPS IIR-13) flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC17B. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2010-11-06 – [COSMO 4 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2010-060/cosmo-4-launch-2010/) Delta 7420-10C launched on the COSMO 4 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2W. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2020-11-06 – [Nusat 9-18 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2020-079/nusat-9-18-launch-2020/) Chang Zheng 6 launched on the Nusat 9-18 flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC16. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2021-11-06 – [YG-35A,B,C – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2021-101/yg-35abc-launch-2021/) Chang Zheng 2D launched on the YG-35A,B,C flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC3. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2025-11-06 – [Starlink-323 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2025-253/starlink-323-launch-2025/) Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the [Starlink](https://www.starlink.com/)-323 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC40. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success* ### 2025-11-06 – [Starlink-324 – launch](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/on-this-day-in-space-history/event/gcat-2025-254/starlink-324-launch-2025/) Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the [Starlink](https://www.starlink.com/)-324 flight from South Base, [Vandenberg Space Force Base](https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/.), California, pad SLC4E. Launch vehicle success. *Launch outcome: success*