July 3 in Space History

17 events

1. 1969 57 years ago launch failure

   L-1S No. 5 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: L-1S No. 5

   • Space transportation

   Zond L1S-2 was carried on the second test launch of the Soviet N1 heavy-lift rocket on July 3, 1969.

   • 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 — Zond L1S-2 (opens in a new tab) — Factual synthesis based on the cited Wikipedia and NASA pages; original editorial wording. (CC BY-SA 4.0)
   • Original Wikipedia link from NSE timeline (opens in a new tab) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
   • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA — Zond L1S-2 (opens in a new tab)

2. 1974 52 years ago launch

   Soyuz-14 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Soyuz-14

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz 11A511 launched on the Soyuz-14 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. 1975 51 years ago launch

   Kosmos-748 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-748

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-748 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)

4. 1984 42 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1581 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1581

   • Space transportation

   Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the Kosmos-1581 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)

5. 1985 41 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1665 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1665

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1665 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. (CC BY 4.0)

6. 1985 41 years ago

   Back to the Future: film release

   Category: Science Fiction › Type: Science fiction film release

   • Science fiction
   • Film and television

   Back to the Future (Film) by Robert Zemeckis · AFI's 10 Top 10: Science Fiction, rank 10; AFI official Letterboxd list, consulted 2026-10-29.

   Back to the Future: film release.

   • American Film Institute Catalog (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on American Film Institute Catalog. Original source retains its rights.
   • AFI official Letterboxd: 10 Top 10 Science Fiction (opens in a new tab) — Ranking attributed to the American Film Institute.

7. 1990 36 years ago launch failure

   Kobal't No. 531 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kobal't No. 531

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kobal't No. 531 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC16/2. 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)

8. 1994 32 years ago launch

   FSW-2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: FSW-2

   • Space transportation

   Chang Zheng 2D (a) launched on the FSW-2 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LA2B. 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. 1996 30 years ago launch

   Apstar 1A — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Apstar 1A

   • Space transportation

   Chang Zheng 3 launched on the Apstar 1A flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC3?. 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. 2002 24 years ago launch

    CONTOUR — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: CONTOUR

    • Space transportation

    The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) was a NASA Discovery-class space probe that failed shortly after its July 2002 launch.

    • 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 — CONTOUR (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/CONTOUR (CC BY-SA 4.0)
    • Original Wikipedia link from NSE timeline (opens in a new tab) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
    • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
    • NASA — CONTOUR (opens in a new tab)
    • NASA NSSDCA — CONTOUR (opens in a new tab)

11. 2014 12 years ago launch

    Gonets-M Blok 13 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Gonets-M Blok 13

    • Space transportation

    Rokot launched on the Gonets-M Blok 13 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)

12. 2015 11 years ago launch

    Progress M-28M — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress M-28M

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Progress M-28M 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. 2020 6 years ago launch

    Gao Fen Duomo — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Gao Fen Duomo

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4B launched on the Gao Fen Duomo 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)

14. 2021 5 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. (CC BY 4.0)

15. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-180 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-180

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-180 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)

16. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Shiyan 28B-01 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Shiyan 28B-01

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4C launched on the Shiyan 28B-01 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC3. 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. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Progress MS-31 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress MS-31

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1A launched on the Progress MS-31 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)