September 21 in Space History

13 events

1. 1971 55 years ago launch

   Kosmos-439 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-439

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-439 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)

2. 1973 53 years ago launch

   Kosmos-587 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-587

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-587 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)

3. 1976 50 years ago launch

   Kosmos-855 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-855

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-855 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)

4. 1981 45 years ago launch

   Aureole 3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Aureole 3

   • Space transportation

   Tsiklon-3 launched on the Aureole 3 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)

5. 1984 42 years ago launch

   Galaxy 3 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Galaxy 3

   • Space transportation

   Delta 3920/PAM launched on the Galaxy 3 flight from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, pad LC17B. 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. 1994 32 years ago launch

   Kosmos-2291 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-2291

   • Space transportation

   Proton-K/DM-2 launched on the Kosmos-2291 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)

7. 2003 23 years ago mission end

   Galileo mission ends at Jupiter

   The Galileo orbiter entered Jupiter's atmosphere at the end of its mission.

   • NASA — Galileo atmospheric probe (opens in a new tab) — Original factual summary; retain attribution to NASA.

8. 2010 16 years ago launch

   USA 215 (FIAR-1) — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: USA 215 (FIAR-1)

   • Space transportation

   Atlas V 501 launched on the USA 215 (FIAR-1) flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad SLC3E. 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. 2011 15 years ago launch

   Arabsat 5C/SES-2 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Arabsat 5C/SES-2

   • Space transportation

   Ariane 5ECA launched on the Arabsat 5C/SES-2 flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA3. 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. 2014 12 years ago launch

    Dragon CRS-4 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Dragon CRS-4

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (1.1) launched on the Dragon CRS-4 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)

11. 2020 6 years ago launch

    Hai Yang 2-03 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Hai Yang 2-03

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4B launched on the Hai Yang 2-03 flight from Jiuquan Space Center, Nei Monggol Zizhiqu, China, pad LC43/94. 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. 2022 4 years ago launch

    Soyuz MS-22 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Soyuz MS-22

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1A launched on the Soyuz MS-22 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)

13. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Starlink-307 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-307

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-307 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)