July 12 in Space History

19 events

1. 1961 65 years ago launch

   Tiros 3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Tiros 3

   • Space transportation

   Thor Delta launched on the Tiros 3 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17A. 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. 1961 65 years ago launch

   Midas 3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Midas 3

   • Space transportation

   Atlas Agena B launched on the Midas 3 flight from Naval Missile Facility, Point Arguello, California, pad LC1-2. 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)

3. 1963 63 years ago launch

   AFP-206 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: AFP-206

   • Space transportation

   Atlas Agena D launched on the AFP-206 flight from Naval Missile Facility, Point Arguello, California, pad LC2-3. 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)

4. 1965 61 years ago launch failure

   AFP-206 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: AFP-206

   Atlas SLV-3 Agena D launched on the AFP-206 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad PALC2-4. 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)

5. 1966 60 years ago launch

   AFP-206 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: AFP-206

   • Space transportation

   Atlas SLV-3 Agena D launched on the AFP-206 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, 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)

6. 1972 54 years ago launch

   Kosmos-501 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-501

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-501 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)

7. 1974 52 years ago launch

   Kosmos-666 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-666

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-666 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. 1974 52 years ago launch failure

   JSSW — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: JSSW

   Feng Bao 1 launched on the JSSW flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LA2B. 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)

9. 1977 49 years ago launch

   Kosmos-927 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-927

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-927 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. 1988 38 years ago launch

    Fobos-2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Fobos-2

    • Space transportation

    Phobos 2 was the last space probe designed by the Soviet Union.

    • 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 — Phobos 2 (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/Phobos_2 (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 — Phobos 2 (opens in a new tab)
    • NASA NSSDCA — Phobos 2 (opens in a new tab)

11. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Olympus — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Olympus

    • Space transportation

    Ariane 3 launched on the Olympus 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)

12. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2030 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2030

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-2030 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)

13. 2000 26 years ago launch

    Zvezda — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Zvezda

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K launched on the Zvezda 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)

14. 2001 25 years ago launch

    ISS 7A — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: ISS 7A

    • Space transportation

    Space Shuttle launched on the ISS 7A flight from NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, pad LC39B. 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. 2001 25 years ago launch

    Artemis/BSAT-2b — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Artemis/BSAT-2b

    • Space transportation

    Ariane 5G launched on the Artemis/BSAT-2b flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA3. Partial launch success/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)

16. 2010 16 years ago launch

    Cartosat-2B — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Cartosat-2B

    • Space transportation

    PSLV (CA) launched on the Cartosat-2B flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad FLP. 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. 2022 4 years ago launch

    Tianlian 2-03 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Tianlian 2-03

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3B (G2) launched on the Tianlian 2-03 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)

18. 2022 4 years ago astronomical observation

    Webb’s first full science-image set released

    NASA and partners released Webb’s first full-color science images and spectra.

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

19. 2024 2 years ago launch

    Starlink-181 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-181

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-181 flight from South Base, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, pad SLC4E. Partial launch success/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)