Space history on March 18

18 events

1. 1963 63 years ago launch failure

   CORONA 61/LANYARD 1 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 61/LANYARD 1

   • Space transportation

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the CORONA 61/LANYARD 1 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad 75-3-4. 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.

2. 1964 62 years ago launch

   Kosmos-26 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-26

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 63S1 launched on the Kosmos-26 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.

3. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Voskhod-2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Voskhod-2

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Voskhod-2 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.

4. 1965 61 years ago human spaceflight

   Alexei Leonov performs the first spacewalk

   Category: Human Spaceflight Activities › Type: Spacewalk (EVA)

   Leonov left Voskhod 2 through an airlock for the first extravehicular activity.

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

5. 1966 60 years ago launch

   AFP-206 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: AFP-206

   • Space transportation

   Atlas SLV-3 Agena D launched on the AFP-206 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad PALC2-4. 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.

6. 1969 57 years ago launch

   OV1-17/18/19 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: OV1-17/18/19

   • Space transportation

   Atlas F launched on the OV1-17/18/19 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad ABRESA2. 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. 1970 56 years ago launch

   Kosmos-327 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-327

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-327 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.

8. 1971 55 years ago launch

   Kosmos-400 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-400

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-400 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.

9. 1976 50 years ago launch

   Kosmos-809 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-809

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-809 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.

10. 1981 45 years ago launch

    Raduga — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Raduga

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM launched on the Raduga flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC200/40. 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.

11. 1987 39 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1833 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1833

    • Space transportation

    Zenit-2 launched on the Kosmos-1833 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC45/1. 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.

12. 2011 15 years ago orbital insertion

    MESSENGER enters orbit around Mercury

    Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Orbit insertion

    Mission: MESSENGER

    MESSENGER entered Mercury orbit at 00:45 UT.

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

13. 2015 11 years ago launch

    Ekspress AM-7 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Ekspress AM-7

    • Space transportation

    Proton-M/Briz-M (III) launched on the Ekspress AM-7 flight from GIK-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.

14. 2016 10 years ago launch

    Soyuz TMA-20M — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Soyuz TMA-20M

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-FG launched on the Soyuz TMA-20M 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.

15. 2020 6 years ago launch

    Starlink-6 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-6

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-6 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.

16. 2022 4 years ago launch

    Soyuz MS-21 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Soyuz MS-21

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1A launched on the Soyuz MS-21 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.

17. 2025 1 year ago launch

    High Five — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: High Five

    • Space transportation

    Electron launched on the High Five flight from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, pad LC1A. 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.

18. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-244 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-244

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-244 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.