September 23 in Space History

20 events

1. 1846 180 years ago astronomical discovery

   Neptune discovered

   Category: Discoveries and Scientific Results › Type: Discovery

   Johann Galle observed Neptune after its position had been predicted from planetary-motion calculations.

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

2. 1963 63 years ago launch

   CORONA 71/1002 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: CORONA 71/1002

   • Space transportation

   Thor SLV-2A Agena D launched on the CORONA 71/1002 flight from Vandenberg AFB, California, pad 75-1-2. 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)

3. 1964 62 years ago launch

   AFP-206 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: AFP-206

   • Space transportation

   Atlas SLV-3 Agena D launched on the AFP-206 flight from South Vandenberg AFB, California, pad PALC2-4. 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)

4. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Kosmos-91 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-91

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-91 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. 1968 58 years ago launch

   Kosmos-243 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-243

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-243 flight from NIIP-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)

6. 1969 57 years ago launch

   Kosmos-300 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-300

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 300 (Ye-8-5 series) was the fourth Soviet attempt at an uncrewed lunar sample return.

   • 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 — Cosmos 300 (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/Kosmos_300 (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 — Cosmos 300 (opens in a new tab)
   • NASA NSSDCA — Cosmos 300 (opens in a new tab)

7. 1972 54 years ago launch

   Explorer 47 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Explorer 47

   • Space transportation

   Delta 1604 launched on the Explorer 47 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)

8. 1975 51 years ago launch

   Kosmos-769 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-769

   • Space transportation

   Voskhod 11A57 launched on the Kosmos-769 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)

9. 1977 49 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)

10. 1980 46 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1211 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1211

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1211 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)

11. 1981 45 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1310 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1310

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-1310 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)

12. 1987 39 years ago launch

    Progress-32 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Progress-32

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-U2 launched on the Progress-32 flight from NIIP-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)

13. 1997 29 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2346/FAISAT — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2346/FAISAT

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-2346/FAISAT flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, pad LC132/1. 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)

14. 1997 29 years ago launch

    Intelsat 803 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Intelsat 803

    • Space transportation

    Ariane 42L (42L-3) launched on the Intelsat 803 flight from Centre Spatial Guyanais, Kourou, Guyane Francaise, pad ELA2. 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. 2004 22 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2408/2409 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2408/2409

    • Space transportation

    Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-2408/2409 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, pad LC132/1. 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)

16. 2009 17 years ago launch

    Oceansat-2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Oceansat-2

    • Space transportation

    PSLV (CA) launched on the Oceansat-2 flight from Satish Dhawan Space Ctr, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, pad FLP. 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. 2011 15 years ago launch

    IGS O-4 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: IGS O-4

    • Space transportation

    H-IIA 202 launched on the IGS O-4 flight from Tanegashima Space Center, Tanegashima, Nippon, pad Y. 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. 2013 13 years ago launch

    Fengyun 3-3 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Fengyun 3-3

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 4C launched on the Fengyun 3-3 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)

19. 2015 11 years ago launch

    Kosmos-2507/08/09 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-2507/08/09

    • Space transportation

    Rokot launched on the Kosmos-2507/08/09 flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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)

20. 2026 launch

    WHDW 26 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: WHDW 26

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 8A launched on the WHDW 26 flight from Hainan Shangye Hangtian Fashe Chang (Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site), 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)