August 18 in Space History

16 events

1. 1962 64 years ago launch

   Kosmos-8 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-8

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 63S1 launched on the Kosmos-8 flight from GTsP-4, Kapustin Yar, Volgograd, Rossiya, pad Mayak-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)

2. 1964 62 years ago launch

   Kosmos-38/40 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-38/40

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 65S3 launched on the Kosmos-38/40 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)

3. 1966 60 years ago launch

   NNS O-10 (N-9) — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: NNS O-10 (N-9)

   • Space transportation

   Scout A launched on the NNS O-10 (N-9) flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC5. 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. 1972 54 years ago launch

   Kosmos-515 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-515

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-515 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. 1976 50 years ago launch

   Kosmos-849 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-849

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K63 launched on the Kosmos-849 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, 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)

6. 1976 50 years ago landing

   Luna 24: lunar landing

   Category: Mission Operations and Milestones › Type: Landing

   Mission: Luna 24

   Moon landing.

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

7. 1981 45 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1297 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1297

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1297 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)

8. 1987 39 years ago launch

   Meteor-2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Meteor-2

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-3 launched on the Meteor-2 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC32/1. 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)

9. 1988 38 years ago launch

   Gorizont — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Gorizont

   • Space transportation

   Proton-K/DM-2 launched on the Gorizont flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC200/40. 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. 1996 30 years ago launch

    Zhongxing 7 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Zhongxing 7

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3 launched on the Zhongxing 7 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC3?. 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)

11. 2008 18 years ago launch

    Inmarsat 4 F3 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Inmarsat 4 F3

    • Space transportation

    Proton-M/Briz-M (II) launched on the Inmarsat 4 F3 flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC200/39. 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. 2011 15 years ago launch failure

    SJ-11-04 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests

    Mission: SJ-11-04

    Chang Zheng 2C (b) launched on the SJ-11-04 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LC603. 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)

13. 2017 9 years ago launch

    TDRS 13 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: TDRS 13

    • Space transportation

    Atlas V 401 (C) launched on the TDRS 13 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)

14. 2020 6 years ago launch

    Starlink-11 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-11

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-11 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)

15. 2021 5 years ago launch

    Tianhui-2 02 zu — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Tianhui-2 02 zu

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4B launched on the Tianhui-2 02 zu 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)

16. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-294 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-294

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-294 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)