May 24 in Space History

24 events

1. 1961 65 years ago launch failure

   NASA S-45A — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: NASA S-45A

   Juno II launched on the NASA S-45A flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC26B. 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)

2. 1962 64 years ago launch failure

   FTV 3501 (AF-1) — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: FTV 3501 (AF-1)

   Scout X-2M launched on the FTV 3501 (AF-1) flight from Naval Missile Facility, Point Arguello, California, pad LC-D. 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)

3. 1963 63 years ago launch

   Kosmos-18 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-18

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92 launched on the Kosmos-18 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)

4. 1966 60 years ago launch

   CORONA 109/1033 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 109/1033

   • Space transportation

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the CORONA 109/1033 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad PALC1-1. 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)

5. 1966 60 years ago launch

   Kosmos-119 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-119

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-119 flight from GTsP-4, Kapustin Yar, Volgograd, Rossiya, pad LC86/1. 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)

6. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Explorer 34 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Explorer 34

   • Space transportation

   Thor Delta E1 launched on the Explorer 34 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2E. 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. 1967 59 years ago launch

   Molniya-1 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Molniya-1

   • Space transportation

   Molniya 8K78 (M) launched on the Molniya-1 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)

8. 1968 58 years ago launch

   Kosmos-221 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-221

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-221 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. (CC BY 4.0)

9. 1975 51 years ago launch

   Soyuz-18 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Soyuz-18

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz 11A511 launched on the Soyuz-18 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)

10. 1983 43 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1464 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1464

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1464 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)

11. 1986 40 years ago launch

    Ekran — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Ekran

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM launched on the Ekran flight from NIIP-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. (CC BY 4.0)

12. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2021 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2021

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-2021 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. 1991 35 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2149 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2149

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-2149 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)

14. 1995 31 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2312 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2312

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the Kosmos-2312 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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. (CC BY 4.0)

15. 1997 29 years ago launch

    Telstar 5 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Telstar 5

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM-2M (DM4) launched on the Telstar 5 flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC81/23. 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. 2003 23 years ago launch

    Beidou — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Beidou

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3A launched on the Beidou flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC2. 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. 2006 20 years ago launch

    GOES N — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: GOES N

    • Space transportation

    Delta 4M+(4,2) launched on the GOES N flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC37B. 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. 2014 12 years ago launch

    ALOS-2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: ALOS-2

    • Space transportation

    H-IIA 202 (1) launched on the ALOS-2 flight from Tanegashima Space Center, Tanegashima, Nippon, pad Y. 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. 2016 10 years ago launch

    Galileo FOC 10/11 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Galileo FOC 10/11

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-ST-B (Fregat) launched on the Galileo FOC 10/11 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)

20. 2019 7 years ago launch

    Starlink-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-1

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-1 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)

21. 2023 3 years ago launch

    Progress MS-23 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress MS-23

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1A launched on the Progress MS-23 flight from GIK-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)

22. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-170 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-170

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-170 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)

23. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-267 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-267

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-267 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)

24. 2026 launch

    Shenzhou 23 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Shenzhou 23

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2F (G) launched on the Shenzhou 23 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LC43/91. 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)