Space history on April 18

19 events

1. 1962 64 years ago launch

   Discoverer 39 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Discoverer 39

   • Space transportation

   Thor Agena B launched on the Discoverer 39 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.

2. 1968 58 years ago launch

   Kosmos-214 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-214

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-214 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.

3. 1968 58 years ago launch

   Kosmos-215 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-215

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-215 flight from GTsP-4, Kapustin Yar, Volgograd, Rossiya, pad LC86/4. 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.

4. 1975 51 years ago launch

   Kosmos-728 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-728

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-728 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.

5. 1975 51 years ago launch

   KH-8A — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: KH-8A

   • Space transportation

   Titan 24B launched on the KH-8A 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.

6. 1979 47 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1094 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1094

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-2 launched on the Kosmos-1094 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC90. 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-1174 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1174

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-2 launched on the Kosmos-1174 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC90. 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. 1980 46 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1175 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1175

   • Space transportation

   Molniya 8K78M (ML) launched on the Kosmos-1175 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC41/1. 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.

9. 1985 41 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1646 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1646

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-2 launched on the Kosmos-1646 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC90. 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. 1986 40 years ago launch

    Molniya-3 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Molniya-3

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (ML) launched on the Molniya-3 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.

11. 2001 25 years ago launch

    GSAT-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: GSAT-1

    • Space transportation

    GSLV Mk I (a) launched on the GSAT-1 flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad FLP. 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.

12. 2004 22 years ago launch

    Shiyan-1/NX-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Shiyan-1/NX-1

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2C (a) launched on the Shiyan-1/NX-1 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC3. 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. 2008 18 years ago launch

    Star One C2/Vinasat — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Star One C2/Vinasat

    • Space transportation

    Ariane 5ECA launched on the Star One C2/Vinasat flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA3. 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. 2014 12 years ago launch

    Dragon CRS-3 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Dragon CRS-3

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (1.1) launched on the Dragon CRS-3 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.

15. 2017 9 years ago launch

    S.S. John Glenn — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: S.S. John Glenn

    • Space transportation

    Atlas V 401 (C) launched on the S.S. John Glenn flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC41. 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. 2018 8 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2526 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2526

    • Space transportation

    Proton-M/Briz-M (III) launched on the Kosmos-2526 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.

17. 2018 8 years ago launch

    TESS — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: TESS

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT4) launched on the TESS 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.

18. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-159 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-159

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-159 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.

19. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Shiyan 27 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Shiyan 27

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 6A launched on the Shiyan 27 flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC9A. 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.