Here are a selection of spaceflight anniversaries occurring in October.
- October 1, 1958 - NASA began operations, replacing the NACA.
- October 3, 1985 - Space Shuttle Atlantis flew its maiden voyage. (STS-51-J)
- 4 October 1957 - Sputnik 1 became the first artificial satellite launched into orbit around the Earth.
- October 4, 2004 - SpaceShipOne wins Ansari X Prize for private spaceflight.
- October 5, 1984 - Marc Garneau becomes the first Canadian in space, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.
- October 11, 1968 - Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 7, the first successful manned Apollo mission, with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn F. Eisele and Walter Cunningham aboard.
- October 15, 1997 - The Cassini probe launches from Cape Canaveral on its way to Saturn.
- October 15, 2001 - NASA's Galileo spacecraft passes within 112 miles of Jupiter's moon Io.
- October 15, 2003 - China launches Shenzhou 5, its first manned space mission.
- October 22, 1968 - Apollo program: Apollo 7 safely splashes down in the Atlantic Ocean after orbiting the Earth 163 times.