July 16 in Space History

19 events

1. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Kosmos-71/75 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-71/75

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 65S3 launched on the Kosmos-71/75 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC41/15. 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. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Proton — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Proton

   • Space transportation

   UR-500 launched on the Proton flight from NIIP-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)

3. 1968 58 years ago launch

   Kosmos-232 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-232

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-232 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. 1969 57 years ago launch

   Apollo 11 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Apollo 11

   • Space transportation

   Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon, and the fifth crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program.

   • 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 — Apollo 11 (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/Apollo_11 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
   • Timeline of Space Exploration Missions 1957 to 2031 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA — Apollo 11 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA NSSDCA — Apollo 11 (opens in a new tab)

5. 1971 55 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 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)

6. 1971 55 years ago launch

   OPS 8373 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: OPS 8373

   • Space transportation

   Thorad SLV-2H Agena D (?) launched on the OPS 8373 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC1W. 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. 1973 53 years ago launch failure

   ITOS E — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: ITOS E

   • Space transportation

   Delta 0300 launched on the ITOS E flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2W. 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. 1982 44 years ago launch

   Landsat 4 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Landsat 4

   • Space transportation

   Delta 3920 launched on the Landsat 4 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC2W. 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. 1986 40 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1763 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1763

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1763 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC133/3. 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)

10. 1987 39 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1869 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1869

    • Space transportation

    Tsiklon-3 launched on the Kosmos-1869 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC32/2. 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)

11. 1990 36 years ago launch

    HS-601 Model — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: HS-601 Model

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2E launched on the HS-601 Model 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)

12. 2000 26 years ago launch

    USA 151 (GPS IIR-5) — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: USA 151 (GPS IIR-5)

    • Space transportation

    Delta 7925-9.5 launched on the USA 151 (GPS IIR-5) flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad SLC17A. 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. 2011 15 years ago launch

    GPS IIF SV-2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: GPS IIF SV-2

    • Space transportation

    Delta 4M+(4,2) launched on the GPS IIF SV-2 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)

14. 2011 15 years ago orbital insertion

    Dawn enters orbit around Vesta

    Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Orbit insertion

    Mission: Dawn

    Dawn used ion propulsion to enter orbit around Vesta.

    • NASA — Dawn mission history (opens in a new tab) — Original factual summary; retain attribution to NASA.

15. 2016 10 years ago launch

    Progress MS-03 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress MS-03

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Progress MS-03 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)

16. 2023 3 years ago launch

    Starlink-94 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-94

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-94 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. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-285 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-285

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-285 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)

18. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Kuiper KF01 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kuiper KF01

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Kuiper KF01 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)

19. 2026 launch

    SDA T1TL-E — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: SDA T1TL-E

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the SDA T1TL-E 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)