Space history on January 27

8 events

1. 1967 59 years ago accident

   Apollo 1 crew lost in ground-test fire

   Category: Accidents and Unplanned Incidents › Type: Ground accident

   Mission: Apollo 1

   Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee died during an Apollo spacecraft ground test.

   • NASA — 60 moments in NASA history (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

2. 1967 59 years ago agreement

   Outer Space Treaty opens for signature

   Category: Programs, Policy, and Governance › Type: Treaty signed

   International: Outer Space Treaty

   The Outer Space Treaty opened for signature in London, Moscow and Washington.

   • United Nations — Outer Space Treaty procedural history (opens in a new tab) — Original factual summary; retain attribution to United Nations.

3. 1981 45 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1242 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1242

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M launched on the Kosmos-1242 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.

4. 1983 43 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1438 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1438

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1438 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.

5. 1989 37 years ago launch

   Intelsat 515 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Intelsat 515

   • Space transportation

   Ariane 2 launched on the Intelsat 515 flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA1. 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.

6. 2013 13 years ago launch

   IGS R-4/Demo — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: IGS R-4/Demo

   • Space transportation

   H-IIA 202 (1) launched on the IGS R-4/Demo 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.

7. 2016 10 years ago launch

   Intelsat 29e — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Intelsat 29e

   • Space transportation

   Ariane 5ECA launched on the Intelsat 29e flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA3. 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.

8. 2025 1 year ago launch

   Starlink-230 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Starlink-230

   • Space transportation

   Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-230 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.