March 16 in Space History

21 events

1. 1926 100 years ago rocketry history

   Goddard launches a liquid-fueled rocket

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Atmospheric test flight

   • Space transportation

   Robert Goddard flew his first successful liquid-propellant rocket.

   • NASA HEASARC — 1900–1959 (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

2. 1962 64 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 63S1 launched on the Kosmos-1 flight from GTsP-4, Kapustin Yar, Volgograd, Rossiya, pad Mayak-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)

3. 1966 60 years ago docking

   Gemini VIII completes the first orbital docking

   Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Docking or berthing

   Mission: Gemini VIII

   Neil Armstrong and David Scott docked Gemini VIII with its Agena target vehicle.

   • NASA — Gemini VIII first docking (opens in a new tab) — Original factual summary; retain attribution to NASA.

4. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Kosmos-148 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-148

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-148 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)

5. 1968 58 years ago launch

   Kosmos-207 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-207

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-207 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)

6. 1975 51 years ago planetary flyby

   Mariner 10 makes its final Mercury flyby

   Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Flyby

   Mission: Mariner 10

   The spacecraft passed Mercury for a third time, approaching within about 327 kilometers.

   • NASA — Mariner 10 (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

7. 1976 50 years ago launch

   Kosmos-808 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-808

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M launched on the Kosmos-808 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)

8. 1978 48 years ago launch

   HEXAGON SV14 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: HEXAGON SV14

   • Space transportation

   Titan IIID launched on the HEXAGON SV14 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, 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)

9. 1979 47 years ago launch

   HEXAGON SV15 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: HEXAGON SV15

   • Space transportation

   Titan IIID launched on the HEXAGON SV15 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, 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)

10. 1983 43 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1446 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1446

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Kosmos-1446 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)

11. 1983 43 years ago launch

    Molniya-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Molniya-1

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (ML) launched on the Molniya-1 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)

12. 1984 42 years ago launch

    Ekran — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Ekran

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM launched on the Ekran flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC200/39. 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. 1984 42 years ago launch

    Molniya-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Molniya-1

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the Molniya-1 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)

14. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2006 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2006

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Kosmos-2006 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)

15. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Progress-41 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress-41

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Progress-41 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. 2017 9 years ago launch

    Echostar 23 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Echostar 23

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT3) launched on the Echostar 23 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)

17. 2019 7 years ago launch

    WGS 10 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: WGS 10

    • Space transportation

    Delta 4M+(5,4) (A) launched on the WGS 10 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC37B. 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. 2020 6 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2545 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2545

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1B (Fregat) launched on the Kosmos-2545 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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)

19. 2020 6 years ago launch failure

    XYZ-6 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: XYZ-6

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 7A launched on the XYZ-6 flight from Wenchang Space Center, Hainan, pad LC201. 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)

20. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-148 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-148

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-148 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)

21. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Kosmos-2585/86/87 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2585/86/87

    • Space transportation

    Angara-1.2 launched on the Kosmos-2585/86/87 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, pad LC35/1. 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)