July 20 in Space History

20 events

1. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Vela 3A/3B — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Vela 3A/3B

   • Space transportation

   Atlas Agena D launched on the Vela 3A/3B flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC13. 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. 1966 60 years ago launch

   Kosmos-125 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-125

   • Space transportation

   Vostok-2A 11A510 launched on the Kosmos-125 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)

3. 1969 57 years ago landing

   Apollo 11: lunar landing

   Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Landing

   Mission: Apollo 11

   Moon landing.

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

4. 1971 55 years ago launch

   Kosmos-429 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-429

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-429 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)

5. 1972 54 years ago launch

   Kosmos-504/511 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-504/511

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-504/511 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC132/2. 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. 1976 50 years ago planetary landing

   Viking 1 lands on Mars

   Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Landing

   Mission: Viking 1

   Viking 1 began surface operations in Chryse Planitia.

   • NASA NSSDCA — Viking (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

7. 1977 49 years ago launch

   Kosmos-931 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-931

   • Space transportation

   Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the Kosmos-931 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. 1977 49 years ago launch

   Kosmos-932 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-932

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-932 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. 1979 47 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1116 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1116

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M launched on the Kosmos-1116 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. 1983 43 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1483 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1483

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1483 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)

11. 1989 37 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2032 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2032

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-2032 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)

12. 1990 36 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2086 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2086

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-2086 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)

13. 1994 32 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2283 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2283

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U-PVB launched on the Kosmos-2283 flight from GNIIP, VKS section, Plesetsk, Rossiya, 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

    Progress M-28 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress M-28

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Progress M-28 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)

15. 2001 25 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 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)

16. 2017 9 years ago space policy

    Law on the exploration and use of space resources: enacted

    Category: Programs, Policy, and Governance › Type: Law enacted

    • Space law
    • Space commerce

    National: Law on the exploration and use of space resources

    Law on the exploration and use of space resources: enacted.

    • Luxembourg Space Agency (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on Luxembourg Space Agency. Original source retains its rights.

17. 2019 7 years ago launch

    Soyuz MS-13 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Soyuz MS-13

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-FG launched on the Soyuz MS-13 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)

18. 2020 6 years ago launch

    ANASIS II — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: ANASIS II

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the ANASIS II 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. 2021 5 years ago

    Oliver Daemen takes a private New Shepard flight

    Category: Human Spaceflight Activities › Type: Private astronaut or space tourist flight

    Mission: NS-16 · Programme: New Shepard

    • Human spaceflight
    • Commercial human spaceflight
    • Space tourism

    Role: Space tourist

    4 participants; see description and linked people.

    • Blue Origin: First Human Flight updates (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on Blue Origin: First Human Flight updates. Original source retains its rights.

20. 2023 3 years ago launch

    Starlink-95 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-95

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-95 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)