September 1 in Space History

18 events

1. 1859 167 years ago solar science

   Carrington observes a solar flare

   Richard Carrington observed a white-light solar flare preceding an intense geomagnetic storm.

   • NASA HEASARC — 1800–1899 (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

2. 1939 87 years ago astronomy theory

   Oppenheimer and Snyder publish gravitational-collapse research

   Category: Discoveries and Scientific Results › Type: Research publication

   The paper described continuing gravitational collapse of a massive star.

   • NASA HEASARC — 1900–1959 (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary; source attribution retained.

3. 1962 64 years ago launch

   2MV-1 No. 2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: 2MV-1 No. 2

   • Space transportation

   Venera 2MV-1 No.2, also known as Sputnik 20 in the Western world, was a Soviet spacecraft, which was launched in 1962 as part of the Venera programme.

   • 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 — Sputnik 20 (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/Sputnik_20 (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 — Sputnik 20 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA NSSDCA — Sputnik 20 (opens in a new tab)

4. 1962 64 years ago launch

   CORONA 50/9042A — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 50/9042A

   • Space transportation

   Thor Agena B launched on the CORONA 50/9042A flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad 75-3-5. 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. 1964 62 years ago launch failure

   Transtage — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Transtage

   • Space transportation

   Titan IIIA launched on the Transtage flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC20. 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)

6. 1967 59 years ago launch failure

   Zenit-2 No. 51 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Zenit-2 No. 51

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Zenit-2 No. 51 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC41/1. 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)

7. 1970 56 years ago launch

   AFP-827 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: AFP-827

   • Space transportation

   Atlas SLV-3A Agena D launched on the AFP-827 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)

8. 1972 54 years ago launch

   KH-8A — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: KH-8A

   • Space transportation

   Titan 24B launched on the KH-8A flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC4W. 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. 1972 54 years ago

   Liability Convention — enters into force

   Category: Programs, Policy, and Governance › Type: Treaty entered into force

   • Space policy
   • Space law

   International: Liability Convention

   Liability Convention — enters into force (1972-09-01).

   • Global Affairs Canada: Outer space (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on Global Affairs Canada: Outer space. Original source retains its rights.

10. 1976 50 years ago launch

    Kosmos-853 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-853

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (ML) launched on the Kosmos-853 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC43/3. 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)

11. 1982 44 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1403 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1403

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1403 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)

12. 1982 44 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1404 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1404

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1404 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. 1996 30 years ago

    The Diamond Age — 1996 Hugo Award, Best Novel

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    The Diamond Age (Novel) by Neal Stephenson · Award: Hugo Award — Best Novel · Role: Science fiction writer

    The Diamond Age — 1996 Hugo Award, Best Novel (1996-09-01).

    • The Hugo Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on The Hugo Awards. Original source retains its rights.

14. 1997 29 years ago launch

    Iridium MFS — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Iridium MFS

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2C-III/SD launched on the Iridium MFS flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC7. 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. 2000 26 years ago launch

    ZY-2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: ZY-2

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4B launched on the ZY-2 flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC7. 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. 2013 13 years ago launch

    Yaogan 17 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Yaogan 17

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4C launched on the Yaogan 17 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LC603. 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. 2013 13 years ago

    Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas — 2013 Hugo Award, Best Novel

    Category: Science Fiction › Type: Award win

    • Science fiction
    • Science fiction literature

    Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas (Novel) by John Scalzi · Award: Hugo Award — Best Novel · Role: Science fiction writer

    Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas — 2013 Hugo Award, Best Novel (2013-09-01).

    • The Hugo Awards (opens in a new tab) — Factual summary based on The Hugo Awards. Original source retains its rights.

18. 2023 3 years ago launch

    Starlink-104 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-104

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-104 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)