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Chronology - Quarter 4 2005
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2005 October 1 - 03:54 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz FG. LV Configuration: Soyuz FG s/n 017, ISS-11S. -
 Soyuz TMA-7 Nation: Russia. Program: ISS. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 217. Mass: 7,250 kg (15,980 lb). Class: Manned. Type: Spacecraft. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Manufacturer: RKK Energia. Agency: Roskosmos, NASA , Space Adentures. Perigee: 347 km (215 mi). Apogee: 348 km (216 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.50 min. COSPAR: 2005-039A. USAF Sat Cat: 28877. Duration: 189.83 days. Crew: Tokarev, McArthur, Olsen. Flight: ISS EO-11, ISS EO-12. Launch delayed from September 27. Soyuz TMA-7 docked with the International Space Station at 05:27 GMT on 3 October, bringing the long duration EO-12 crew of (McArthur, Commander; Tokarev, Flight Engineer) and space tourist Olsen. McArthur, Tokarev and Pontes (brought to the station aboard Soyuz TMA-8) transferred to TMA-7 on April 8, 2006, closing the hatches at 17:15 GMT and undocking from Zvezda at 20:28 GMT, leaving Vinogradov and Williams from Soyuz TMA-8 as the Expedition 13 in charge of the station. Soyuz TMA-7 fired its engines at 22:58 GMT for the deorbit burn and landed in Kazakhstan at 23:48 GMT.
2005 October 6 - 21:30 GMT - Launch Site: Barents Sea. Launch Pad: Borisoglebsk Submarine. Launch Vehicle: R-29. Model: Volna. -
 IRDT-2R Nation: Germany. Mass: 130 kg (280 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: IRDT. Manufacturer: NPO Lavochkin. Agency: Return and Rescue Space Systems. Suborbital test of the Demonstrator inflatable reentry technology test vehicle. The reentry vehicle could not be located in the Kamchatka Peninsula impact zone and was not recovered. Test delayed from the fourth quarter of 2003, then May and October 2004, then July 5, July 8, September 15, September 27, 2005.
2005 October 7 - 21:30 GMT - Launch Site: Barents Sea. Launch Vehicle: R-29. Model: R-29RM. - RSM-54 Test Nation: Russia. Agency: VMF.
2005 October 8 - 15:02 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Rokot. LV Configuration: Rokot KM / Briz KM N°72508. FAILURE: The first stage burned to depletion due to a missing command in the software sequence. This resulted in the second stage failing to separate. -
 CryoSat Nation: Europe. Mass: 717 kg (1,580 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Seasat. Spacecraft: CryoSat. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Agency: ESA. COSPAR: F20051008A. ESA Earth Explorer 1 mission failed to orbit. The satellite was to have used radar altimetry for environmental survey of polar ice with great accuracy. Delayed from November 2004, March 25, June 24, July 11, September 15 and 27, 2005.
2005 October 11 - - Cassini, Dione Flyby, Successful Spacecraft: Cassini.
2005 October 11 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: ETR. Launch Pad: SLBM Launch Area. Launch Vehicle: Trident D-5. -
 Operational Test mission Nation: UK. Agency: RN. Launched from HMS Vanguard.
2005 October 12 - 01:00 GMT - Launch Site: Jiuquan. Launch Vehicle: CZ-2F. -
 Shenzhou 6 Nation: China. Mass: 8,040 kg (17,720 lb). Class: Manned. Type: Spacecraft. Spacecraft: Shenzhou. Perigee: 334 km (207 mi). Apogee: 334 km (207 mi). Inclination: 42.40 deg. COSPAR: 2005-040A. USAF Sat Cat: 28879. Crew: Fei Junlong, Nie Haisheng. Flight: Shenzhou 6. Moved up from October 13. Second Chinese manned space mission. The two-astronaut crew spent 5 days in space, and worked in the Shenzhou orbital module for the first time. Aside from biomedical experiments, the nature of their work was not divulged, and few images of the interior of the orbital module (with its probable military experiments) were released.
2005 October 13 - 22:32 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA3. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. LV Configuration: Ariane 5GS V168. -
 Galaxy 15 Nation: USA. Program: Galaxy. Mass: 2,033 kg (4,481 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Star bus. Manufacturer: Orbital Sciences. Agency: PanAmSat. Perigee: 35,776 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-041A. USAF Sat Cat: 28884. Slated to provide satellite television services to the United States market. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 132.99W drifting at 0.009W degrees per day.
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 Syracuse 3A Nation: France. Payload: Spacebus 4000B3. Mass: 3,725 kg (8,212 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. Manufacturer: Alcatel Alenia Space. Agency: DGA. Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-041B. USAF Sat Cat: 28885. Syracuse 3A French military communications satellite. Launch delayed from mid-February, March 15, April 14, May 31, 2005. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 47.00E drifting at 0.010E degrees per day.
2005 October 16 - - Shenzhou 6 lands Nation: China. Spacecraft: Shenzhou. Flight: Shenzhou 6. Shenzhou 6 soft landed within sight of the recovery forces at 04:32:50 local time.
2005 October 19 - 18:05 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC4. Launch Pad: SLC4E. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4B. Model: Titan 404B. LV Configuration: Titan 404B B-26. - USA 186 Nation: USA. Payload: NRO L-20 (EIS-3?). Mass: 20,000 kg (44,000 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Improved Crystal. Agency: National Reconnaissance Office (U.S.). Perigee: 264 km (164 mi). Apogee: 1,050 km (650 mi). Inclination: 97.90 deg. COSPAR: 2005-042A. USAF Sat Cat: 28888. Delayed from 2003; February 2004; and June 30, July 10, September 9, 2005. Last launch of the Titan series put a classified National Reconnaisance Office satellite into polar orbit. Its orbital parameters, as determined by amateur observors, suggested it was an Improved Crystal electronic imaging reconnaissace satellite, replacing USA 129, which was launched in 1996.
2005 October 27 - 06:52 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132. Launch Pad: LC132/1. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 3M s/m 104. - Beijing-1 Nation: China. Payload: Tsinghua 2, China-DMC+4, Modified MicroSat-100. Mass: 140 kg (300 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: MicroSat-100. Manufacturer: Surrey. Perigee: 682 km (423 mi). Apogee: 705 km (438 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.60 min. COSPAR: 2005-043A. USAF Sat Cat: 28890. Beijing-1 carried a 31-cm focal-length cartographic telescope with a resolution of 4 meters. It was to be part of the international Disaster Monitoring Constellation. Operated by Tsinghua University for Beijing Landview Mapping Information Technology Ltd.
- Topsat Nation: UK. Payload: Heavily modified Surrey MicroSat-100. Mass: 108 kg (238 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: MicroSat-100. Manufacturer: Surrey. Agency: Qinetiq, British National Space Centre. Perigee: 682 km (423 mi). Apogee: 707 km (439 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043B. USAF Sat Cat: 28891. Delayed from May 18, mid-July, August 25, September 27 and 30, 2005. UK military surveillance research satellite.
- UWE-1 Nation: Germany. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Agency: Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet Wuerzburg. Perigee: 683 km (424 mi). Apogee: 708 km (439 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043C. USAF Sat Cat: 28892. University of Wurzburg cubesat. Released from SSETI Express.
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 Sinah-1 Nation: Iran. Mass: 160 kg (350 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Mesbah-2. Agency: AKO Polyot. Perigee: 682 km (423 mi). Apogee: 705 km (438 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.60 min. COSPAR: 2005-043D. USAF Sat Cat: 28893. First Iranian satellite, with an experimental surveillance camera payload. It may have used the Russian Polyot enterprise's Sterkh satellite bus. The same bus was to be used in future Nadezhda satellites. The Strekh bus was said to accomodate 80-100 kg satellites, and be 1.0 m high and 0.4 m in diameter, with a design life of 5 years. Sinah was 160 kg, and 0.8 x 1.3 x 1.6 m in dimensions. Or it may have been a version of the previously-announced satellite dubbed Mesbah-2.
- SSETI Express Nation: Europe. Mass: 80 kg (176 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian. Agency: Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative. Perigee: 682 km (423 mi). Apogee: 708 km (439 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043E. USAF Sat Cat: 28894. Student-built technology satellite sponsored by the European Space Agency. It ejected three 1-kg Cubesats after separating from the booster, but then itself lost power less than 14 hours later.
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 Cubesat XI-V Nation: Japan. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Class: Technology. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Agency: University of Tokyo. Perigee: 682 km (423 mi). Apogee: 708 km (439 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043F. USAF Sat Cat: 28895. University of Tokyo cubesat. Released from SSETI Express.
- Rubin-5 Nation: Russia. Mass: 45 kg (99 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Civilian. Perigee: 684 km (425 mi). Apogee: 712 km (442 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043G. USAF Sat Cat: 28898. Technology/communications payload attached to the Kosmos 3M's upper stage It used the Orbcomm satellite system to return data to earth. Rubin-5 included the AATiS SAFIR-S amateur transponder and the ESA ASOLANT solar-powered GPS antenna experiment.
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 NCube-2 Nation: Norway. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Cubesat. Agency: Norsk Romsenter. Perigee: 684 km (425 mi). Apogee: 712 km (442 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043G. USAF Sat Cat: 28898. Norwegian cubesat. Evidently was released from SSETI Express but no signal received.
- Mozhaets 5 Nation: Russia. Mass: 64 kg (141 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Civilian. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: Mozhaiskiy Military Space Engineering Academy. Perigee: 684 km (425 mi). Apogee: 712 km (442 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min. COSPAR: 2005-043G. USAF Sat Cat: 28898. Experimental satellite built by students at the Mozhaiskiy Military Academy and carrying a laser communications experiment. It failed to separate from the rocket final stage and no communications were ever established with it.
2005 October 28 - - Cassini, Titan Flyby, Successful Spacecraft: Cassini.
2005 October 28 - - Cassini, Titan Flyby, Successful Spacecraft: Cassini.
2005 November 1 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Vehicle: Topol M. - Topol M test Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Evasive Warhead ICBM Test. The missile was said to have entered a lower suborbital trajectory than was standard, and the warhead to have made evasive maneuvers both in space and during re-entry. This was said to give the system an 87% chance of penetrating planned American ballistic missile defence systems.
2005 November 7 - - EVA ISS EO-12-1 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Tokarev, McArthur. Flight: ISS EO-12. EVA Duration: 0.22 days. The EVA started an hour late due to a misaligned valve in the Quest airlock module. The crew installed a television camera on the outboard end of the port truss segment of the ISS and removed a failed Rotary Joint Motor Controller (RJMC). They then moved hand over hand to the P6 truss, 16 m above the Destiny module. McArthur removed an old experiment, the Floating Potential Probe, and pushed it away from the station. Finally the crew replaced a failed circuit breaker in the Mobile Transporter.
2005 November 8 - 14:07 GMT - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Complex: Odyssey. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL. LV Configuration: Zenit 3SL s/n 23. - Inmarsat 4F-2 Nation: USA. Program: Inmarsat. Payload: Inmarsat 4B; Eurostar 3000GM. Mass: 5,958 kg (13,135 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. Agency: Inmarsat. Perigee: 35,902 km (22,308 mi). Apogee: 35,965 km (22,347 mi). Inclination: 2.90 deg. Period: 1,443.60 min. COSPAR: 2005-044A. USAF Sat Cat: 28899. The satellite was fitted with a 10 meter diameter antenna for mobile communications. Payload moved from Ariane 5 EC-A. Launch delayed from September, November 4 and 5, 2005. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 52.87W drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.
2005 November 9 - - Hayabusa releases target marker. Hayabusa released the first of three 10-cm target markers towards the surface of asteroid Itokawa. It missed the surface and floated off into deep space.
2005 November 9 - 03:33 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC31. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz FG. LV Configuration: Soyuz FG s/n 010 / Fregat ST-14 s/n 1010. - Venus Express Nation: Europe. Mass: 1,270 kg (2,790 lb). Class: Planetary. Type: Venus. Spacecraft: Venus Express. Agency: ESA. COSPAR: 2005-045A. USAF Sat Cat: 28901. Launch delayed from October 26. The Soyuz placed the probe and Fregat upper stage into a 30 km x 190 km x 51.6 deg orbit around the earth. At apogee the Fregat stage made a 50 m/s maneuver to circularize the orbit. At the appropriate moment in this parking orbit, the Fregat fired again, then separated from the now Venus-bound probe at 05:11 GMT. Venus Express passed lunar orbit on November 10 at 10:10 GMT and went into a 0.702 AU x 0.993 AU x 0.26 deg inclination solar orbit. It was to brake itself into a 250 km x 326,550 km x 89.7 deg orbit around Venus on 11 April 2006 at 08:40 GMT. Two maneuvers would put in its final 24-hour Venus orbit of 282 x 66,911 km x 90.0 deg on 30 April. This was selected to synchronise the satellite with tracking stations on earth, while the planet slowly revolves below its perigee point over the following several months.
2005 November 12 - - Hayabusa, MINERVA Landing, Failed Spacecraft: Hayabusa.
2005 November 12 - - Hayabusa releases Minerva nano-lander. Hayabusa probe skimmed at an altitude of 55 m over asteroid Itokawa. The Minerva nano-lander was released, but missed the asteroid and floated out into deep space. Hayabusa was then moved to a safe position 5 km from the surface and the control team considered its next move.
2005 November 16 - 23:46 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA3. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5 EC-A. LV Configuration: Ariane 5 EC-A V167. -
 Telkom 2 Nation: Indonesia. Mass: 1,975 kg (4,354 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Star bus. Agency: PT Telkom. Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,794 km (22,241 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. COSPAR: 2005-046A. USAF Sat Cat: 28902. Satellite's launch delayed from April 14, May 31, October 27, November 10 and 12, 2005, for technical problems. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 118.00E drifting at 0.013W degrees per day.
- Spaceway 2 Nation: USA. Program: DirecTV. Mass: 6,116 kg (13,483 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: HS 702. Manufacturer: Boeing Satellite Systems. Agency: DirecTV. Perigee: 29,361 km (18,244 mi). Apogee: 42,121 km (26,172 mi). Inclination: 0.20 deg. Period: 1,433.80 min. COSPAR: 2005-046B. USAF Sat Cat: 28903. Heaviest total commercial GTO payload to that date. Qualification flight for the Ariane 5 EC-A version. Launch delayed from June 25 due to launch vehicle problems. Spaceway 2 launch delayed from April for problems with the satellite. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 99.24W drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.
2005 November 18 - - Soyuz TMA-7 moved on ISS. Program: ISS. Flight: ISS EO-12. The ISS EO-12 crew boarded their Soyuz TMA-7 and undocked from the Pirs module at 08:46 GMT, flew around the station, and then docked with the Zarya module at 09:05 GMT. This cleared the hatch on the Pirs module for a future planned spacewalk.
2005 November 19 - - Hayabusa lands on Itokawa. Hayabusa released the second target marker at 20:30 GMT and this marker stayed on the surface, arriving at 20:36. Hayabusa then homed on the target and bounced off the surface at 21:10, followed by a firm landing at 21:30. It stayed on the surface until 21:58 - it was uncertain whether the planned surface sample had been obtained. A safe-mode command sent it Hayabusa to a distance of 100 km from the asteroid as the team considered their next move.
2005 November 20 - - Hayabusa (MUSES-C), first Asteroid 25143 Itokawa Sample Collection, Failed Spacecraft: Hayabusa.
2005 November 25 - - Hayabusa (MUSES-C), second Asteroid 25143 Itokawa Sample Collection Spacecraft: Hayabusa.
2005 November 26 - - Cassini, Rhea Flyby Spacecraft: Cassini.
2005 November 27 - - Hayabusa returns to Itokawa. The spacecraft grazed the surface again at 22:07. However it was again uncertain if any surface material was obtained. Control of the spacecraft was lost again due to orientation jet failures which prevented the satellite from pointing its high gain antenna toward earth.
2005 November 29 - 07:44 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Topol. - Topol ICBM test Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN.
2005 December 1 - - Hayabusa (MUSES-C), Asteroid 25143 Itokawa Departure Spacecraft: Hayabusa.
2005 December 1 - 09:04 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Complex: S. Launch Vehicle: VSB-30. LV Configuration: VSB-30 V02. -
 VSB-30 TEXUS EML-1/TEXUS 42 Microgravity mission Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 263 km (163 mi). This was the first launch of the Brazilian sounding rocket VSB-30, replacing the British Skylark, from Esrange. The speed when leaving the launcher was about 60 m/s and after 45 seconds of acceleration the max speed was over 200 m/s.
During the flight the experiments onboard spent approximately 6 minutes of microgravity and all experiments worked successfully. The payload was brought back for analysis at Esrange by helicopter within one hour after landing.References: 1879.
2005 December 14 - Launch Site: Kwajalein. Launch Vehicle: OBV. - FT-1 EKV Prototype ABM test Nation: USA. Mass: 55 kg (121 lb). Agency: Missile Defense Agency. Launch delayed from late 2004. Successful test of hit-to-kill anti-ballistic missile homer, although no target was intercepted.
2005 December 21 - 18:38 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U. LV Configuration: Soyuz ISS-20P s/n 095. - Progress M-55 Nation: Russia. Program: ISS. Payload: Progress M s/n 355. Mass: 7,250 kg (15,980 lb). Class: Manned. Type: Logistics. Spacecraft: Progress M. Manufacturer: RKK Energia. Agency: Roskosmos. Perigee: 336 km (208 mi). Apogee: 349 km (216 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min. COSPAR: 2005-047A. USAF Sat Cat: 28906. Duration: 179.96 days. Flight: ISS EO-12. The resupply spacecraft docked with the ISS Pirs module at 19:46 GMT on 23 December. It undocked at 14:06 GMT on June 19, 2006; fired its engines at 17:06 GMT to lower its orbit into the atmosphere; and burned up over the Pacific Ocean at 17:41 GMT.
2005 December 21 - 19:34 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132. Launch Pad: LC132/1. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 3M s/n 232. - Gonets D1M 1 Nation: Russia. Mass: 225 kg (496 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-Dump. Spacecraft: Gonets-D1. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki. Agency: VKS. Perigee: 1,440 km (890 mi). Apogee: 1,450 km (900 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. COSPAR: 2005-048A. USAF Sat Cat: 28908. Delayed from December 15. Civilian version of Strela-3 store-dump survivable military satellite.
- Cosmos 2416 Nation: Russia. Mass: 225 kg (496 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-Dump. Spacecraft: Strela-3. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki. Agency: VKS. Perigee: 1,440 km (890 mi). Apogee: 1,450 km (900 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. COSPAR: 2005-048B. USAF Sat Cat: 28909. Russian military satellite dubbed Rodnik, possibly a new design to replace the Strela-3 in the store-dump survivable communications satellite constellation.
2005 December 21 - 22:33 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA3. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. LV Configuration: Ariane 5GS V169. -
 Insat 4A Nation: India. Program: Insat. Mass: 3,081 kg (6,792 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Insat 3. Manufacturer: ISRO. Agency: ISRO. Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-049A. USAF Sat Cat: 28911. Delayed from late July 2005. Launch delayed from August 23, October, November 14 and 30, December 8, 16 and 20. Dry mass 1385 kg. The satellite was equipped with Ku-band and C-band transponders and would join other Insats in providing telecommunications and television services to the Indian subcontinent. After three engine burns the satellite reached geostationary altitude over the Indian Ocean at 04:30 GMT on 26 December, then deployed its solar arrays. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 83.00E drifting at 0.006W degrees per day.
- MSG 2 Nation: Europe. Mass: 2,034 kg (4,484 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Weather. Spacecraft: MSG. Manufacturer: Alcatel Alenia Space. Agency: Eumetsat. Perigee: 35,779 km (22,231 mi). Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Inclination: 1.50 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-049B. USAF Sat Cat: 28912. Delayed from mid-February, March 15, June 2005. Meteosat Second Generation spin-stabilized weather satellite. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 0.11W drifting at 0.024W degrees per day.
2005 December 25 - 05:07 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC81. Launch Pad: LC81/23. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Model: Proton-K/DM-2. LV Configuration: Proton K s/n 410-12 /11S861 s/n 106L. - Cosmos 2417 Nation: Russia. Payload: Glonass 798. Mass: 1,415 kg (3,119 lb). Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: Glonass. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki. Agency: KNITs. Perigee: 19,110 km (11,870 mi). Apogee: 19,130 km (11,880 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. COSPAR: 2005-050A. USAF Sat Cat: 28915. The Block D upper stage delivered three GLONASS navigation satellites into their planned orbits at 08:39 GMT. The satellites had an extended seven-year service life compared to earlier models. This was the sixth end-of-year replenishment launch since 2000, and was part of a Russian government-funded program to replenish and expand the Glonass constellation to at least 18 operating satellites satellites by 2007 (compared to 14 satellites at the end of 2005). In 2006 launch of a new Glonass satellite design with a ten-year service was planned.
- Cosmos 2418 Nation: Russia. Payload: Glonass-M s/n 713. Mass: 1,480 kg (3,260 lb). Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: Glonass. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki. Agency: KNITs. Perigee: 19,110 km (11,870 mi). Apogee: 19,130 km (11,880 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. COSPAR: 2005-050B. USAF Sat Cat: 28916.
- Cosmos 2419 Nation: Russia. Payload: Glonass-M s/n 714. Mass: 1,480 kg (3,260 lb). Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: Glonass. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki. Agency: KNITs. Perigee: 19,110 km (11,870 mi). Apogee: 19,130 km (11,880 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. COSPAR: 2005-050C. USAF Sat Cat: 28917.
2005 December 26 - - Cassini, Titan Flyby Spacecraft: Cassini.
2005 December 28 - 05:19 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC31. Launch Pad: LC31/6. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz FG. LV Configuration: Soyuz FG s/n 015 / Fregat ST-15 s/n 1009. - Giove-A Nation: Europe. Payload: GSTB-V2/A / Heavily modified Surrey MiniSat-400. Mass: 600 kg (1,320 lb). Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: MiniSat-400. Manufacturer: Surrey. Agency: ESA. Perigee: 23,616 km (14,674 mi). Apogee: 23,616 km (14,674 mi). Inclination: 56.00 deg. COSPAR: 2005-051A. USAF Sat Cat: 28922. Delayed from September, October, December 26. Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element, a prototype for the Galileo European navigation satellite network. Giove carried carried two rubidium atomic clocks and a large L-band phased array antenna.
2005 December 29 - 02:28 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC200. Launch Pad: LC200/39. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82M. LV Configuration: Proton M s/n 535-13 /Breeze M s/n 88514. - AMC-23 Nation: USA. Program: Americom. Payload: AMC-13, GE-3i, WorldSat 3. Mass: 4,981 kg (10,981 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. Manufacturer: Alcatel Alenia Space. Agency: SES Americom. Perigee: 35,773 km (22,228 mi). Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2005-052A. USAF Sat Cat: 28924. Delayed from November, December 1 and 6. AMC-23 was to provide Ku-band multimedia and telecommunications services to Pacific rim countries over a planned 16 year life. A C-band payload was partly leased to the Japanese JSAT system. The Briz-M upper stage separated from the three-stage Proton launch vehicle at suborbital velocity, then conducted five engine burns before delivering the satellite to a 6193 km x 35,615 km x 18.5 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit at 11:48 GMT. The satellite would use its own Astrium S400 apogee engine to circularize the orbit at geostationary altitude. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 171.97E drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.
2005 December 31 - Launch Site: White Sea. Launch Pad: SSBN Dmitry Donskoi. Launch Vehicle: Bulava. - Bulava SLBM test Nation: Russia. Agency: RN. First submerged launch of the Bulava SLBM. Hit the designated impact area at Kura in the Kamchatka Peninsula.
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