February 28 in Space History

20 events

1. 1963 63 years ago launch failure

   CORONA 60/9052 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: CORONA 60/9052

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the CORONA 60/9052 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad 75-3-5. 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. 1964 62 years ago launch

   OPS 3722 — launch

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

   Mission: OPS 3722

   • Space transportation

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the OPS 3722 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad 75-3-5. 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. 1966 60 years ago launch

   ESSA 2 — launch

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

   Mission: ESSA 2

   • Space transportation

   Thor Delta E launched on the ESSA 2 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17B. 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. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Kosmos-144 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-144

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M (?) launched on the Kosmos-144 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC41/1. 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)

5. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-549 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-549

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-549 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, 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)

6. 1975 51 years ago launch

   Kosmos-711/718 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-711/718

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-711/718 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC132/2. 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)

7. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Kosmos-991 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-991

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-991 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC132/2. 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)

8. 1984 42 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1539 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-1539

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1539 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC16/2. 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)

9. 1989 37 years ago launch

   Meteor-2 — launch

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

   Mission: Meteor-2

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-3 launched on the Meteor-2 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. 1990 36 years ago launch

    Okean — launch

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

    Mission: Okean

    • Space transportation

    Tsiklon-3 launched on the Okean 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)

11. 1990 36 years ago launch

    USA 53 [MST1] — launch

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

    Mission: USA 53 [MST1]

    • Space transportation

    Space Shuttle launched on the USA 53 [MST1] 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)

12. 1990 36 years ago launch

    Progress M-3 — launch

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

    Mission: Progress M-3

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Progress M-3 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. 1991 35 years ago launch

    Raduga — launch

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

    Mission: Raduga

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM-2 launched on the Raduga flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC81/23. 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)

14. 2001 25 years ago mission end

    Last contact with NEAR Shoemaker

    Controllers received the final communication from NEAR Shoemaker on Eros.

    • NASA — NEAR Shoemaker (opens in a new tab) — Original factual summary; retain attribution to NASA.

15. 2005 21 years ago launch

    Progress M-52 — launch

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

    Mission: Progress M-52

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Progress M-52 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)

16. 2006 20 years ago launch

    Arabsat 4A — launch

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

    Mission: Arabsat 4A

    • Space transportation

    Proton-M/Briz-M (I) launched on the Arabsat 4A flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC200/39. Partial launch success/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)

17. 2007 19 years ago planetary flyby

    New Horizons receives a Jupiter gravity assist

    Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › , type: Flyby

    Mission: New Horizons

    New Horizons used a Jupiter encounter to accelerate toward Pluto.

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

18. 2009 17 years ago launch

    Raduga-1 — launch

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

    Mission: Raduga-1

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM-2 launched on the Raduga-1 flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC81/24. 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. 2021 5 years ago launch

    Arktika-M No. 1 — launch

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

    Mission: Arktika-M No. 1

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1B (Fregat) launched on the Arktika-M No. 1 flight from GIK-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)

20. 2022 4 years ago launch

    The Owl'sNight Continues — launch

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

    Mission: The Owl'sNight Continues

    • Space transportation

    Electron launched on the The Owl'sNight Continues flight from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, pad LC1B. 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)