Space history on April 12

13 events

1. 1961 65 years ago launch

   Vostok — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Vostok

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8K72 (K) launched on the Vostok 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.

2. 1964 62 years ago launch

   Polyot-2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Polyot-2

   • Space transportation

   Polyot 11A59 launched on the Polyot-2 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.

3. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Kosmos-155 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-155

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-155 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. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-553 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-553

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-553 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.

5. 1974 52 years ago launch failure

   Zenit-4MK — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Zenit-4MK

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Zenit-4MK flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC31. 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.

6. 1979 47 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.

7. 1980 46 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1172 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1172

   • Space transportation

   Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the Kosmos-1172 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.

8. 1981 45 years ago launch

   OFT-1 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: OFT-1

   • Space transportation

   Space Shuttle launched on the OFT-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.

9. 1983 43 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1452 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1452

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1452 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.

10. 1985 41 years ago launch

    PAM-D/Leasat Deploy — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: PAM-D/Leasat Deploy

    • Space transportation

    Space Shuttle launched on the PAM-D/Leasat Deploy 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.

11. 2005 21 years ago launch

    Apstar 6 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Apstar 6

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3B launched on the Apstar 6 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC2. 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. 2017 9 years ago launch

    SJ-13 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: SJ-13

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3B (G2) launched on the SJ-13 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC2. 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.

13. 2025 1 year ago launch

    NROL-192 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: NROL-192

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the NROL-192 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.