Space history on May 5

25 events

1. 1933 93 years ago astronomical discovery

   Jansky’s cosmic radio discovery publicized

   Category: Discoveries and Scientific Results › Type: Result announcement

   A New York Times report brought Karl Jansky’s detection of radio emission from the Milky Way to public attention.

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

2. 1961 65 years ago human spaceflight

   Alan Shepard becomes first American in space

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Suborbital launch

   • Space transportation

   Shepard completed a suborbital flight aboard Freedom 7.

   • NASA — 60 moments in NASA history (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

3. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Ariel 3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Ariel 3

   • Space transportation

   Scout A launched on the Ariel 3 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC5. 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

   DSP 2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: DSP 2

   • Space transportation

   Titan IIIC launched on the DSP 2 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.

5. 1972 54 years ago launch

   Kosmos-488 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-488

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-488 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.

6. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-556 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-556

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-556 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. 1976 50 years ago launch

   Kosmos-817 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-817

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-817 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.

8. 1977 49 years ago launch

   Kosmos-907 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-907

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-907 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/3. 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.

9. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1004 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1004

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1004 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/3. 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.

10. 1982 44 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1356 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1356

    • Space transportation

    Vostok 8A92M launched on the Kosmos-1356 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.

11. 1985 41 years ago

    PRESS ENTER[]: Best Novella

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    PRESS ENTER[] (Novella) by John Varley · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novella

    PRESS ENTER[] won Best Novella.

    • SFWA: 1984 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 1984 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

12. 1985 41 years ago

    Morning Child: Best Short Story

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    Morning Child (Short story) by Gardner Dozois · Award: Nebula Award — Best Short Story

    Morning Child won Best Short Story.

    • SFWA: 1984 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 1984 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

13. 1985 41 years ago

    Bloodchild: Best Novelette

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    Bloodchild (Novella) by Octavia E. Butler · Award: Nebula Award — Best Novelette

    Bloodchild won Best Novelette.

    • SFWA: 1984 Nebula Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on SFWA: 1984 Nebula Awards. Original source retains its rights.

14. 1987 39 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1843 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1843

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1843 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.

15. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2019 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2019

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Kosmos-2019 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.

16. 1990 36 years ago launch

    Progress-42 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress-42

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Progress-42 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.

17. 1996 30 years ago launch

    Progress M-31 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress M-31

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Progress M-31 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.

18. 1999 27 years ago launch

    Orion 3 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Orion 3

    • Space transportation

    Delta 8930 launched on the Orion 3 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC17B. 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.

19. 2005 21 years ago launch

    Cartosat — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Cartosat

    • Space transportation

    PSLV (C) launched on the Cartosat flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad SLP. 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.

20. 2009 17 years ago launch

    USA 205 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: USA 205

    • Space transportation

    Delta 7920-10C launched on the USA 205 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2W. 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.

21. 2017 9 years ago launch

    GSAT-9 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: GSAT-9

    • Space transportation

    GSLV Mk II launched on the GSAT-9 flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad SLP. 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. 2018 8 years ago launch

    Mars Insight — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Mars Insight

    • Space transportation

    The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission was a robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of the planet Mars.

    • 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 — InSight (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/InSight
    • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
    • NASA — InSight (opens in a new tab)
    • NASA NSSDCA — InSight (opens in a new tab)

23. 2019 7 years ago launch

    T.A.Funny Looking Cactus — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: T.A.Funny Looking Cactus

    • Space transportation

    Electron launched on the T.A.Funny Looking Cactus 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.

24. 2020 6 years ago launch

    XZF-SC/RCS-FC-SC — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: XZF-SC/RCS-FC-SC

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 5B launched on the XZF-SC/RCS-FC-SC flight from Wenchang Space Center, Hainan, pad LC101. 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.

25. 2022 4 years ago launch

    Jilin-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Jilin-1

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2D launched on the Jilin-1 flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC9. 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.