2015 Event A SpaceX cargo rocket explodes shortly after launch; the unmanned vessel was carrying over two tons of food, provisions, supplies and equipment for the International Space Station 2015 Event Commercial space company SpaceX has been approved as a contractor to the U.S. military for satellite launches; SpaceX will compete for contracts against the Boeing-Lockheed Martin United Launch Alliance, currently the primary military launch provider 2014 Event After restricting its ties with Cuba since 1996, the European Union agrees to launch negotiations; the talks aim to increase the dialogue on human rights and increase trade and investment between Cuba and the EU 2014 Event The cryogenic engine built India's Space Research Organisation engineers powers the launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5), which successfully placed a 1,982-kg GSAT-14 communications satellite into orbit in 17 minutes 2013 Event Bolivia's Tupac Katari is successfully launched from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center 2013 Event The launch of the 'Yu Tu', China's first lunar vehicle, is scheduled to take place at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center before December 10, 2013 2013 Event NASA completes a launch of the MAVEN, whose mission is to study Mars atmosphere in depth' the data from the MAVEN will help researchers construct a history of the climate on Mars and should help them understand how the water on Mars disappeared 2013 Event Within days of its launch, the 'Grand Theft Auto V' videogame reaches sales of $1billion, becoming the fastest single entertainment product ever to achieve these sales 2012 Event The launch of a space satellite into space by North Korea is disputed by South Korean defense ministry, who claim it was a disguised test of a 10,000 km range missile 2012 Event The U.N. condemns North Korea for launching a long-range Unha rocket; North Korea claims its purpose is to put its first satellite into space, but critics say the launch is a disguised ballistic missile test 2012 Event In a gesture to honor North Korean founder Kim II-Sung's birthday in April, North Korea plans to launch a new satellite that reportedly will be used to study crops and natural resources 2012 Event Author JK Rowling announces that the Pottermore website, her version of the Harry Potter universe will launch in early April, 2012 2012 Event New Corporation announces its launch of 'The Sun on Sunday' to replace 'News of the World' which shut down due to a phone hacking controversy 2011 Event The European Space Agency makes contact with the Fobos-Grunt probe 48 hours after the spacecraft's window for launch to Mars closes 2011 Event The Tiangong 1 space laboratory announces it has scheduled to launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gansu Province 2011 Event NASA reveals its Space Launch System plan, intended to replace the Space Shuttle program with its first flight scheduled for 2017 2011 Event Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces the country's plan to launch a manned shuttle into space by 2019 2011 Event Pope Benedict XVI announces the launch of a new Vatican website, news.va; he also performs the first tweet ever made by a pope 2011 Event The Japanese launch the H-II Transfer Vehicle HTV-2 Resupply Craft, in a mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station 2010 Event Trade unions in France launch a round of strikes in response to President Sarkozy's plan to lift the pension age to 62 2004 Event U.S. troops launch offensive on Falluja 1997 Event Progress M-35 Soyuz Launch (Russia) 1997 Event Intelsat 802 Ariane 4 Launch, Successful 1997 Event Feng Yun-2B Long March 3 Launch (China), Successful 1997 Event Cosmos 2344 Proton-K Launch (Russia), Failed 1997 Event Telstar-5 Proton Launch, Successful 1997 Event Cosmos Zenit-2 Launch (Russia), Failed 1997 Event Thor-2A Delta 2 Launch (Norway/USA), Successful 1997 Event ABC News and Starwave Corp launch ABCNEWS.com 1997 Event Iridium-1 Delta 2 Launch, Successful 1997 Event Progress M-34 Launch (Russia) 1994 Event IRA launch 1st of 3 mortar attacks on London's Heathrow Airport 1993 Death Vladimir Pavlovich Barmin, Chief designer of Soviet launch pads, dies 1992 Event Fox is to launch Tuesday night network TV, rescheduled to Decemeber 1988 Event Alexander Volkov, Sergei Krikalev and Jean-Loup Chretien launch 1988 Event Pioneer 6's closest approach to Earth since 1965 launch (1.87 M km) 1988 Event Soviets 1st scheduled shuttle launch (postponed) 1987 Event Discovery moves to Launch Pad 39B for STS-26 mission 1987 Event 1st Energiya Launch (U.S.S.R.) 1985 Event STS-51-L vehicle moves to Launch Pad 39B 1985 Event STS-61-C vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event STS-61-B vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event Challenger vehicle moves to launch pad for STS-61A mission 1985 Event Atlantis moves to launch pad for 51-J mission 1985 Event Suisei Launch (Halley's Comet Flyby) 1985 Event STS-51-I vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event STS-51-F launch scrubbed at T -3s because of main engine shutdown 1985 Event STS-51-F vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event STS-51-G vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event Challenger moves to launch pad for 51-B mission 1985 Event STS-51-D vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event STS-51-E vehicle moves to launch pad 1985 Event Discovery moves to launch pad for STS-51-C mission 1984 Event STS-51-A mission; launch 1984 Event STS-51-A launch scrubbed because of high shear winds 1984 Event STS-51-A launch vehicle moves to launch pad 1984 Event STS-41-G launch vehicle moves to launch pad 1984 Event STS-41-D vehicle again moves out to launch pad 1984 Event STS-41-D launch attempt scrubbed because of computer problem 1984 Event STS-41-D vehicle moves to launch pad 1984 Event STS-41-C vehicle moves to launch pad 1984 Event STS-41-B vehicle moves to launch pad 1983 Event STS-9 vehicle again moves to launch pad 1983 Event STS-9 vehicle moves to launch pad 1983 Event STS-8 vehicle moves to launch pad 1983 Event Challenger moves to launch pad for STS-7 1982 Event STS-6 vehicle moves to launch pad 1982 Event STS-5 vehicle moves to launch pad 1982 Event STS-4 Launch (Columbia) 1982 Event Soyuz T-6 Launch (U.S.S.R.) 1982 Event STS-4 vehicle moves to launch pad 1982 Event Launch of STS-3-Lousma and Fullerton 1982 Event Assembled STS-3 vehicle moves from Vandenberg AFB to launch pad 1981 Event Columbia shuttle launch scrubbed with 31 seconds remaining 1981 Event Space Shuttle vehicle moves to Launch Complex 39A for STS-2 mission 1980 Event Shuttle STS-1 moves from Vandenberg AFB to Launch Complex 39A 1980 Event China launch 1st intercontinental rocket 1980 Event Vostok rocket exploded on launch pad while being refueled, killing 50 1975 Event Viking 2 Mars probe launch 1975 Event Soyuz 18A launch aborted short of orbit; cosmonauts return safely 1974 Event Titan-Centaur Test launch fails 1970 Event Zond 8 Launch (Moon Orbit and Return) 1970 Event Luna 16 Launch (Moon Sample Return) 1969 Event Launch of Mariner 7, flies 2,190-mi above southern Mars 1968 Event Launch of Zond 6, 2nd unmanned circumlunar and return flight 1968 Event Launch of Zond 5, 1st lunar fly-around with Earth reentry 1968 Event Beatles launch "Apple Records" label 1968 Event Vietcong launch Tet-offensive on U.S. embassy in Saigon 1967 Event U.S.S.R. Kosmos 186 and 188 make 1st automatic docking and Venmera 13 launch 1967 Event Mariner 5 Launch, Venus Flyby 1967 Event San Marco 2 Launch (1st Equatorial Launch) 1966 Event Soviets launch Kosmos 110 with Veterok and Ugolek, 1st 2-dog crew 1966 Event French satellite Diapason D-1A launch into Earth orbit 1965 Event Astronauts Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad successfully launch Gemini 5, the 11th manned spaceflight mission of all time 1965 Event Launch of 1st Soviet communications satellite 1964 Event Launch of Voskhod 1, 1st 3 man crew (Komarov, Feokistov, Yegorov) 1964 Event U.S.S.R. launch 3 Kosmos satellites 1964 Event Centaur 3 launch vehicle fails to make Earth orbit 1964 Event Iranian motor launch catches fire and sinks killing 113 (Persian Gulf) 1962 Event Launch of Alouette 1, 1st Canadian satellite (on U.S. Delta rocket) 1962 Event U.S. U-2 flight sees SAM launch pads in Cuba 1962 Event 1st Atlas Centaur Launch 1962 Event U.S. and U.K. launch Ariel; 1st international payload 1962 Event Launch of OSO 1, 1st astronomy satellite (solar flare data) 1961 Event 1st Saturn launch vehicle makes an unmanned flight test 1961 Event 1st Saturn launch vehicle made a flight test 1961 Event Launch of Mercury 4 (Liberty Bell) with Grissom 1961 Event Launch of Transit 4a, with 1st nuclear power supply (SNAP-3) 1961 Event Unmanned Mercury test explodes on launch pad 1960 Event Disaster on U.S.S.R. (Baikonoer) launch pad, kills missile expert Nedelin and team (165 die-unconfirmed); U.S.S.R. claims killed in plane crash 1960 Event U.S.S.R. launch 1st (unmanned) space capsule 1960 Event 1st launch of Delta satellite launching vehicle; it failed 1959 Event Launch of Discoverer 1 (WTR)-1st polar orbit 1957 Event 1st U.S. attempt to launch a satellite fails - Vanguard rocket blows up 1957 Event 1st test firing of Vanguard satellite launch vehicle, TV-3 1955 Event Construction begins on Soviet cosmodrome launch facilities 1950 Event V-2/WAC Corporal rocket launch; 1st launch from Cape Canaveral 1948 Event U.S. announced a study to launch an Earth satellite 1946 Event 1st U.S. launch of captured V-2 rocket, White Sands, NM; 8 km alt 1945 Event JPL WAC Corporal Launch (1st Man-Made Object to escape Atmosphere) 1944 Event Germans launch counteroffensive at Anzio Italy 1942 Event Launch of 1st A-4/V-2 rocket to altitude of 53 miles (85 km) 1942 Event 1st V-2 rocket launch, Peenemunde, Germany; reached 1.3 km 1941 Event Germans launch attack on Moscow 1932 Birthday Alexander Kluge, born in Halberstadt, Germany, film director, author, work 'Butalitat im Stein' or 'Brutality in Stone', helped launch New German Cinema 1918 Event During WW I, U.S. forces launch an attack on German-occupied St. Mihiel 1918 Event U.S. and French forces launch Aisne-Marne offensive in WW I 1916 Event Giants beat Brooklyn 4-1, to launch New York's record 26-game winning streak 1783 Event Montgolfier brothers launch 1st hot-air balloon, unmanned
