January 24 in Space History

21 events

1. 1962 64 years ago launch failure

   NRL Composite 1/GRAB — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: NRL Composite 1/GRAB

   Thor Ablestar launched on the NRL Composite 1/GRAB flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17B. Launch failure.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

2. 1968 58 years ago launch

   CORONA 123/1045 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 123/1045

   • Space transportation

   Thorad SLV-2G Agena D launched on the CORONA 123/1045 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC1E. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

3. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-545 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-545

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-545 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC133/3. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

4. 1974 52 years ago launch

   Kosmos-629 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-629

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-629 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/4. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

5. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Molniya-3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Molniya-3

   • Space transportation

   Molniya 8K78M (ML) launched on the Molniya-3 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/3. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

6. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Kosmos-986 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-986

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-986 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC31. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

7. 1980 46 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1152 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1152

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1152 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/3. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

8. 1981 45 years ago launch

   Progress-12 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Progress-12

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Progress-12 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC1. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

9. 1985 41 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1626 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1626

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-3 launched on the Kosmos-1626 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC32/2. Launch vehicle success.

   • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

10. 1985 41 years ago launch

    USA 8 (ORION 1) — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: USA 8 (ORION 1)

    • Space transportation

    Space Shuttle launched on the USA 8 (ORION 1) flight from NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, pad LC39A. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

11. 1986 40 years ago planetary flyby

    Voyager 2 encounters Uranus

    Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › , type: Flyby

    Mission: Voyager 2

    Voyager 2 became the first spacecraft to fly past Uranus.

    • NASA — Voyager 2 (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

12. 1993 33 years ago launch

    Soyuz TM-16 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Soyuz TM-16

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Soyuz TM-16 flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC1. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

13. 1994 32 years ago launch failure

    Eut. 2F5/Turksat 1A — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests

    Mission: Eut. 2F5/Turksat 1A

    Ariane 44LP (44LP+) launched on the Eut. 2F5/Turksat 1A flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA2. Launch failure.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

14. 1995 31 years ago launch

    Tsikada/Astrid — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Tsikada/Astrid

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Tsikada/Astrid flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, pad LC132/1. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

15. 2014 12 years ago launch

    TDRS 12 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: TDRS 12

    • Space transportation

    Atlas V 401 launched on the TDRS 12 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC41. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

16. 2017 9 years ago launch

    DSN 2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: DSN 2

    • Space transportation

    H-IIA 204 (2) launched on the DSN 2 flight from Tanegashima Space Center, Tanegashima, Nippon, pad Y. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

17. 2019 7 years ago launch

    Microsat-R — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Microsat-R

    • Space transportation

    PSLV-DL launched on the Microsat-R flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad FLP. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

18. 2021 5 years ago launch

    Transporter-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Transporter-1

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Transporter-1 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC40. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

19. 2022 4 years ago orbital insertion

    Webb reaches its L2 orbit

    Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › , type: Orbit insertion

    Mission: Webb

    An insertion maneuver placed Webb on its planned orbit around the Sun–Earth L2 region.

    • NASA — Webb orbital insertion (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

20. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-137 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-137

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-137 flight from South Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, pad SLC4E. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)

21. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-229 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-229

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-229 flight from South Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, pad SLC4E. Launch vehicle success.

    • Jonathan McDowell — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (opens in a new tab) — Data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC BY 4.0. Adapted into anniversary records. (CC BY 4.0)