Space history on April 17

23 events

1. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Kosmos-65 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-65

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-65 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.

2. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Surveyor 3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Surveyor 3

   • Space transportation

   Surveyor 3 is the third lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon in 1967 and the second to successfully land.

   • 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.
   • Wikipedia — Surveyor 3 (opens in a new tab) — Adapted from Wikipedia contributors; selected sentences retained and edited for length, reference markers and pronunciation glosses. CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Article and edit history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveyor_3
   • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA — Surveyor 3 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA NSSDCA — Surveyor 3 (opens in a new tab)

3. 1968 58 years ago launch

   KH-8 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: KH-8

   • Space transportation

   Titan IIIB launched on the KH-8 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC4W. 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. 1971 55 years ago launch

   Meteor — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Meteor

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M launched on the Meteor flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, 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.

5. 1980 46 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1173 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1173

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1173 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.

6. 1983 43 years ago launch

   RS-D-2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: RS-D-2

   • Space transportation

   SLV-3 (D4) launched on the RS-D-2 flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad SLV. 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. 1986 40 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1741 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1741

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1741 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.

8. 1990 36 years ago launch

   Kosmos-2073 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-2073

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-2073 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, 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.

9. 1993 33 years ago

   Even the Queen: Best Short Story

   Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

   • Science fiction
   • Science fiction literature

   Even the Queen (Short story) by Connie Willis · Award: Nebula Award — Best Short Story

   Even the Queen won Best Short Story.

   • SFWA: 1992 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 1992 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

10. 1993 33 years ago

    City of Truth: Best Novella

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    City of Truth (Novella) by James Morrow · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novella

    City of Truth won Best Novella.

    • SFWA: 1992 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 1992 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

11. 1993 33 years ago

    Danny Goes to Mars: Best Novelette

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    Danny Goes to Mars (Novella) by Pamela Sargent · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novelette

    Danny Goes to Mars won Best Novelette.

    • SFWA: 1992 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 1992 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

12. 1993 33 years ago

    Doomsday Book — 1992 Nebula Award, Best Novel

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    Doomsday Book (Novel) by Connie Willis · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novel · Role: Science fiction writer

    Doomsday Book — 1992 Nebula Award, Best Novel (1993-04-17).

    • SFWA Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

13. 1997 29 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2341 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2341

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-2341 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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.

14. 1998 28 years ago launch

    Neurolab — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Neurolab

    • Space transportation

    Space Shuttle launched on the Neurolab flight from NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, pad LC39B. 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. 2000 26 years ago launch

    Sesat — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Sesat

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM-2M (DM-2M) launched on the Sesat 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.

16. 2004 22 years ago

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Best Script

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Film and television

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Film) by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, Peter Jackson · Award: Nebula Award — Best Script

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers won Best Script.

    • SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

17. 2004 22 years ago

    The Speed of Dark — 2003 Nebula Award, Best Novel

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    The Speed of Dark (Novel) by Elizabeth Moon · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novel · Role: Science fiction writer

    The Speed of Dark — 2003 Nebula Award, Best Novel (2004-04-17).

    • SFWA Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

18. 2004 22 years ago

    Coraline: Best Novella

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    Coraline (Novella) by Neil Gaiman · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novella

    Coraline won Best Novella.

    • SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

19. 2004 22 years ago

    The Empire of Ice Cream: Best Novelette

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    The Empire of Ice Cream (Novella) by Jeffrey Ford · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novelette

    The Empire of Ice Cream won Best Novelette.

    • SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

20. 2004 22 years ago

    What I Didn’t See: Best Short Story

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    What I Didn’t See (Short story) by Karen Joy Fowler · Award: Nebula Award — Best Short Story

    What I Didn’t See won Best Short Story.

    • SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 2003 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

21. 2022 4 years ago launch

    NROL-85 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: NROL-85

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the NROL-85 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.

22. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-158 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-158

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-158 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.

23. 2026 launch

    Daqi 2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Daqi 2

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4C launched on the Daqi 2 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LC43/94. 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.