December 28 in Space History

23 events

1. 1965 61 years ago launch

   Kosmos-103 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-103

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 65S3 launched on the Kosmos-103 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)

2. 1965 61 years ago launch failure

   DS-K-40 No. 1 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests

   Mission: DS-K-40 No. 1

   Kosmos 63S1 launched on the DS-K-40 No. 1 flight from GTsP-4, Kapustin Yar, Volgograd, Rossiya, pad LC86/1. 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)

3. 1972 54 years ago launch

   Kosmos-542 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-542

   • Space transportation

   Vostok 8A92M launched on the Kosmos-542 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)

4. 1976 50 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 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-887 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-887

   • Space transportation

   Kosmos 11K65M launched on the Kosmos-887 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, 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)

6. 1978 48 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1069 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1069

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1069 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)

7. 1979 47 years ago launch

   Gorizont — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Gorizont

   • Space transportation

   Proton-K/DM 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)

8. 1979 47 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1148 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1148

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1148 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)

9. 1982 44 years ago launch

   Kosmos-1426 — launch

   Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

   Mission: Kosmos-1426

   • Space transportation

   Soyuz-U launched on the Kosmos-1426 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)

10. 1983 43 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1518 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1518

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the Kosmos-1518 flight from 53-y Nauchno-Issledovatelskiy Ispitatelniy Poligon, pad LC16/2. 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)

11. 1985 41 years ago launch

    Kosmos-1714 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Kosmos-1714

    • Space transportation

    Zenit-2 launched on the Kosmos-1714 flight from NIIP-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC45/1. 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)

12. 1988 38 years ago launch

    Molniya-1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Molniya-1

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (ML) launched on the Molniya-1 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. 1991 35 years ago launch

    Zhongxing 4 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Zhongxing 4

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3 launched on the Zhongxing 4 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)

14. 1994 32 years ago launch

    Raduga — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Raduga

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM-2 launched on the Raduga flight from GIK-5, Baykonur, Kazakstan, pad LC81/23. 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. 1995 31 years ago launch

    IRS-1C — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: IRS-1C

    • Space transportation

    Molniya 8K78M (2BL) launched on the IRS-1C 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)

16. 1995 31 years ago launch

    Echostar 1 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Echostar 1

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2E launched on the Echostar 1 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC2. 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. 2001 25 years ago launch

    Gonets/Kosmos — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Gonets/Kosmos

    • Space transportation

    Tsiklon-3 launched on the Gonets/Kosmos flight from 1-y Gosudarstvenniy Ispitatelniy Kosmodrom MO RF, 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)

18. 2003 23 years ago launch

    Ekspress AM-22 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Ekspress AM-22

    • Space transportation

    Proton-K/DM-2M (DM-2M) launched on the Ekspress AM-22 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)

19. 2013 13 years ago launch

    Aist-1/SKRL-756 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Aist-1/SKRL-756

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1V (Volga) launched on the Aist-1/SKRL-756 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)

20. 2015 11 years ago launch

    Gaofen 4 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Gaofen 4

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 3B (G2) launched on the Gaofen 4 flight from Xichang Space Center (Songlin), Sichuan, China, pad LC2. 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)

21. 2016 10 years ago launch

    Gaojing-1 1/2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Gaojing-1 1/2

    • Space transportation

    Chang Zheng 2D launched on the Gaojing-1 1/2 flight from Taiyuan weixing fashe zhongxin, pad LC9. 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)

22. 2022 4 years ago launch

    Starlink-69 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Starlink-69

    • Space transportation

    Falcon 9 (FT5) launched on the Starlink-69 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)

23. 2025 1 year ago launch

    Aist-2T No. 1/2 — launch

    Category: Launches and Flight Tests › Type: Orbital launch

    Mission: Aist-2T No. 1/2

    • Space transportation

    Soyuz-2-1B (Fregat) launched on the Aist-2T No. 1/2 flight from Vostochniy, Svobodniy, Amurskaya Oblast', Rossiya, pad PU1S. 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)