May 29 in Space History

17 events

1. 1919 107 years ago astronomy measurement

   Eclipse observations test general relativity

   Eclipse expeditions measured starlight deflection near the Sun, testing Einstein’s general relativity.

   • NASA — Solar science timeline (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

2. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Explorer 28 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Explorer 28

   • Space transportation

   Thor Delta C launched on the Explorer 28 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17B. 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. 1969 57 years ago launch

   Kosmos-284 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-284

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-284 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)

4. 1971 55 years ago launch

   Kosmos-425 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-425

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-425 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)

5. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Meteor — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Meteor

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M launched on the Meteor 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. (CC BY 4.0)

6. 1974 52 years ago launch

   Luna-22 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Luna-22

   • Space transportation

   Luna 22 (Ye-8-LS series) was an uncrewed space mission, part of the Soviet Luna program, also called Lunik 22.

   • 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 — Luna 22 (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/Luna_22 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
   • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA — Luna 22 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA NSSDCA — Luna 22 (opens in a new tab)

7. 1985 41 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 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)

8. 1986 40 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1747 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1747

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1747 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)

9. 1990 36 years ago launch

   Resurs-F — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Resurs-F

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Resurs-F 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)

10. 2001 25 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2377 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2377

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Kosmos-2377 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)

11. 2012 14 years ago launch

    Yaogan 15 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Yaogan 15

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4C launched on the Yaogan 15 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. (CC BY 4.0)

12. 2016 10 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2516 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2516

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1B (Fregat) launched on the Kosmos-2516 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)

13. 2020 6 years ago launch

    XJS G, H — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: XJS G, H

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 11 launched on the XJS G, H flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC4. 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. 2021 5 years ago launch

    Tianzhou 2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Tianzhou 2

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 7 launched on the Tianzhou 2 flight from Wenchang Space Center, Hainan, pad LC201. 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. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Shi Jian 26 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Shi Jian 26

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4B launched on the Shi Jian 26 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LC43/94. 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. 2026 launch

    Starlink-393 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-393

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-393 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)

17. 2026 launch

    Amazon Leo LA-07 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Amazon Leo LA-07

    • Space transportation

    Atlas V 551 (G) launched on the Amazon Leo LA-07 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)