Experience the legacy of human spaceflight by exploring the milestones that define On This Day in Space History. These range from the roaring engines of historic rocket launches that paved the way to the stars to the personal legacies of the astronauts born or who passed away on this date. Every day marks a significant chapter in our journey beyond Earth. Furthermore, whether you are tracking a specific mission anniversary, our comprehensive daily guide connects you with the cosmic events that happened on this very day. In addition, you can use the guide when honoring the pioneers of the Final Frontier.
Rocket Launches On This Day
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Saturn-SA 7 Saturn I
Soviet Space Program Strela-1 25 to 29 Kosmos 65S3
Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry JSSW 1a Feng Bao 1
Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) Soyuz TMA-9 Soyuz-FG
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Zi Yuan 1-2B Long March 4B
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Chinasat-1A Long March 3B/E
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Compass-M5 & Compass-M6 Long March 3B/E
Orbital Sciences Corporation Cygnus Orb-1 (S.S. G. David Low) Antares 110
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Beidou-3 M25 & M27 Long March 3B/YZ-1
Rocket Lab Owl By The Dozen (StriX Launch 12) Electron
Astronauts Born On This Day
Charles L. Veach
- Date of Birth: 09/18/1944
- Date of Death: 10/03/1995
- Nationality: United States of America
- First Flight: 04/28/1991
- Last Flight: 10/22/1992
Charles Lacy Veach was a USAF fighter pilot and NASA astronaut.
Mark Shuttleworth
- Date of Birth: 09/18/1973
- Nationality: South Africa
- First Flight: 04/25/2002
- Last Flight: 04/25/2002
Mark Richard Shuttleworth (born 18 September 1973) is a South African entrepreneur.
He launched aboard the Russian Soyuz TM-34 missio...
Nikolay Rukavishnikov
- Date of Birth: 09/18/1932
- Date of Death: 10/19/2002
- Nationality: Russia
- First Flight: 04/22/1971
- Last Flight: 04/10/1979
Nikolay Nikolayevich Rukavishnikov was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew three space missions of the Soyuz programme: Soyuz 10, Soyuz 16, and Soyuz 33. Two ...
Takao Doi
- Date of Birth: 09/18/1954
- Nationality: Japan
- First Flight: 11/19/1997
- Last Flight: 03/11/2008
Takao Doi (土井 隆雄 Doi Takao, born September 18, 1954) is a Japanese astronaut and veteran of two NASA space shuttle missions.
...
What information does this page contain?
This page contains a comprehensive of all the rocket launches that have occurred on this exact calendar day throughout history. It features historical rocket launches as well as a list of astronauts who have birthdays or death anniversaries on this date.
How often is this page updated?
This page is updated each day to automatically feature all the rocket launches and astronauts with birthdays or death anniversaries on this day in history.
Can I check upcoming launches alongside historical milestones?
Yes! While this page focuses on past events for today’s date, you can easily transition to looking at future flights by checking out the upcoming rocket launch schedule or filtering by specific locations like Kennedy Space Center.
Where does the historical launch data come from?
Our launch data and mission timelines are powered by reliable space data providers like The Space Devs, ensuring accurate historical records for every date on the calendar.