May 18 in Space History

18 events

1. 1963 63 years ago launch

   CORONA 64/LANYARD 2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 64/LANYARD 2

   • Space transportation

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the CORONA 64/LANYARD 2 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. (CC BY 4.0)

2. 1964 62 years ago launch

   Kosmos-30 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-30

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-30 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. (CC BY 4.0)

3. 1965 61 years ago launch

   CORONA 95/1021 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 95/1021

   • Space transportation

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the CORONA 95/1021 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad 75-3-4. 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. (CC BY 4.0)

4. 1967 59 years ago launch

   NNS O-13 (N-11) — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: NNS O-13 (N-11)

   • Space transportation

   Scout A launched on the NNS O-13 (N-11) 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. (CC BY 4.0)

5. 1968 58 years ago launch failure

   Nimbus B — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: Nimbus B

   Thorad SLV-2G Agena D launched on the Nimbus B flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2E. 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. (CC BY 4.0)

6. 1969 57 years ago launch

   Apollo 10 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Apollo 10

   • Space transportation

   Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969) was the fourth human spaceflight in the United States' Apollo program and the second to orbit the Moon.

   • 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. (CC BY 4.0)
   • Wikipedia — Apollo 10 (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/Apollo_10 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
   • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA — Apollo 10 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA NSSDCA — Apollo 10 (opens in a new tab)

7. 1971 55 years ago launch

   Kosmos-420 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-420

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-420 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. (CC BY 4.0)

8. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-559 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-559

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-559 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. (CC BY 4.0)

9. 1976 50 years ago launch

   Kosmos-818 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-818

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-818 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. (CC BY 4.0)

10. 1981 45 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1270 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1270

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1270 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. (CC BY 4.0)

11. 1988 38 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1944 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1944

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1944 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. (CC BY 4.0)

12. 1991 35 years ago launch

    Soyuz TM-12 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Soyuz TM-12

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Soyuz TM-12 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. (CC BY 4.0)

13. 2001 25 years ago launch

    USA 158 (GeoLITE) — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: USA 158 (GeoLITE)

    • Space transportation

    Delta 7925-9.5 launched on the USA 158 (GeoLITE) flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC17B. 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. (CC BY 4.0)

14. 2017 9 years ago launch

    SES-15 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: SES-15

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-ST-A (Fregat) launched on the SES-15 flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELS. 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. (CC BY 4.0)

15. 2021 5 years ago launch

    SBIRS GEO-5 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: SBIRS GEO-5

    • Space transportation

    Atlas V 421 (C1) launched on the SBIRS GEO-5 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. (CC BY 4.0)

16. 2022 4 years ago launch

    Starlink-49 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-49

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-49 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. (CC BY 4.0)

17. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-168 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › , type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-168

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-168 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. (CC BY 4.0)

18. 2025 1 year ago launch failure

    EOS-09 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests

    Mission: EOS-09

    PSLV-XL launched on the EOS-09 flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad FLP. 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. (CC BY 4.0)