May 23 in Space History

19 events

1. 1969 57 years ago launch

   Vela 5A/5B — launch

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

   Mission: Vela 5A/5B

   • Space transportation

   Titan IIIC launched on the Vela 5A/5B flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC41. 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. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-560 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-560

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-560 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. (CC BY 4.0)

3. 1974 52 years ago launch failure

   Yantar'-2K No. 1 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: Yantar'-2K No. 1

   Soyuz-U launched on the Yantar'-2K No. 1 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/3. 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)

4. 1977 49 years ago launch

   Kosmos-910 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-910

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-2 launched on the Kosmos-910 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. (CC BY 4.0)

5. 1977 49 years ago launch

   AFP-827 — launch

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

   Mission: AFP-827

   • Space transportation

   Atlas SLV-3A Agena D launched on the AFP-827 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC13. 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)

6. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1010 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-1010

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1010 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. (CC BY 4.0)

7. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1011 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-1011

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1011 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. (CC BY 4.0)

8. 1980 46 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1182 — launch

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

   Mission: Kosmos-1182

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1182 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. 1980 46 years ago launch failure

   Firewheel — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: Firewheel

   Ariane 1 launched on the Firewheel flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA1. 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)

10. 1981 45 years ago launch

    Intelsat 501 — launch

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

    Mission: Intelsat 501

    • Space transportation

    Atlas SLV-3D Centaur launched on the Intelsat 501 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC36B. 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. 1982 44 years ago launch

    Progress-13 — launch

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

    Mission: Progress-13

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Progress-13 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. 1984 42 years ago launch

    Spacenet 1 — launch

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

    Mission: Spacenet 1

    • Space transportation

    Ariane 1 launched on the Spacenet 1 flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA1. 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. 1985 41 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1654 — launch

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

    Mission: Kosmos-1654

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1654 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)

14. 1986 40 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1745 — launch

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

    Mission: Kosmos-1745

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1745 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. (CC BY 4.0)

15. 2008 18 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2437-2439/Yub — launch

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

    Mission: Kosmos-2437-2439/Yub

    • Space transportation

    Rokot launched on the Kosmos-2437-2439/Yub flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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)

16. 2014 12 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2496/97/98/99 — launch

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

    Mission: Kosmos-2496/97/98/99

    • Space transportation

    Rokot launched on the Kosmos-2496/97/98/99 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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)

17. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-169 — launch

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

    Mission: Starlink-169

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-169 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

    Kosmos-2588 — launch

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

    Mission: Kosmos-2588

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1B (Fregat) launched on the Kosmos-2588 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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. (CC BY 4.0)

19. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-266 — launch

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

    Mission: Starlink-266

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-266 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. (CC BY 4.0)