Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads.

• 1965 July 16 11:16 - Proton 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82. UR-500 107207-01 (207) Apogee: 578 km (359 mi). The first launch of the Proton launch vehicle was not without problems. A leak in the oxidiser pipeline resulted in nitrogen tetroxide spilling on electrical wires. The question was: proceed with the launch or abort? Chelomei decided to go ahead, and on 16 July 1965 the first UR-500 successfully launched the Proton 1 satellite. In the first hours after launch specialists from OKB-52 could only receive signals in the first hours that indicated the satellite was ‘alive’. However it later functioned normally and provided physics data on ultra-high-energy cosmic particles for 45 days.

  At the first launch the rocket was called ‘Gerkules’ (other sources say ‘Atlantis’), as indicated by the large symbol on the second stage skin. This name was however was not taken up.

• 1965 November 2 12:28 - Proton 2 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82. UR-500 209 Apogee: 608 km (377 mi). High energy physics laboratory. Investigation of ultra-high-energy cosmic particles.

• 1966 March 24 21:00 - N-4 s/n 3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82. Second stage malfunction.. UR-500 211

• 1966 July 6 12:57 - Proton 3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82. UR-500 212 Apogee: 594 km (369 mi). Space station 'Proton 3'. Investigation of ultra high energy cosmic particles

• 1967 March 10 11:30 - Cosmos 146 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. UR-500K/Blok D N10722701 Apogee: 312 km (193 mi). Protoype Soyuz 7K-L1P launched by Proton into planned highly elliptical earth orbit. The first flight four-stage Proton rocket began assembly on 21 November 1966, with mechanical assembly completed by 29 November. Electrical connections and tests were completed by 4 December 1966. Due to New Year’s holidays work did not resume until 28 January 1967. By 28 February the fully assembled booster / spacecraft unit was completed in the MIK, including the 7K-L1P boilerplate spacecraft. The launch tower was added on 2 March 1967 and the system was declared ready for launch. A serious potential problem during preparations was the discovery that fuel gases could lead to pump cavitation at the turbine exits. Tests on the ground showed that the problem was not the fuel itself, but in the monitoring equipment. The launch vehicle and Block D stage functioned correctly and put the spacecraft into a translunar trajectory. The spacecraft was not aimed at the moon, did not have a heat shield for reentry, and no recovery was planned or attempted. A successful launch that created false confidence just before the string of failures that would follow.

• 1967 April 8 09:00 - Cosmos 154 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Block D ullage rocket failure; no restart.. Proton-K/D 228-01 Apogee: 203 km (126 mi). Protoype Soyuz 7K-L1 manned circumlunar spacecraft. There are high winds for the L1 launch, 15-17 m/s. The official limit is 20 m/s, but Chelomei wants to scrub the launch if winds go over 15 m/s. Nevertheless the launch proceeds in 17-18 m/s winds and the L1 reached earth orbit. However the Block D translunar injection stage failed to fire (ullage rockets, which had to fire to settle propellants in tanks before main engine fired, were jettisoned prematurely). The failure is blamed on Mishin and has Tsybin seething in anger. Mishin is disorganised and has made many mistakes. Spacecraft burned up two days later when orbit decayed. Later in the day comes the news the RTS has to be replaced on one of the Soyuz 1/2 spacecraft. This will have a 3 to 4 day schedule impact, and push the launch back to 15-20 April. The crews arrive the same day for the upcoming Soyuz launch.

• 1967 September 27 22:11 - Soyuz 7K-L1 s/n 4L Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. First stage -1 RD-253 failed, resulting at T+67 sec in deviation from flight path.. Proton-K/D 229-01 First attempted circumlunar flight. The UR-500K failed, crashing 50 to 60 km from the launch pad. The L1 radio beacon was detected 65 km north of the Baikonur aerodrome by an Il-14 search aircraft. An Mi-6 helicopter recovered the capsule and had it back to the cosmodrome by 13:30. Mishin's record: of seven launches of the Soyuz and L1, only one has been successful. Film of the launch shows that one engine of the first stage failed. Mishin still wants to launch the next L1 by 28 October. The other chief designers oppose the move. Barmin says at least five months are needed to diagnose the cause of the failures and makes fixes to ensure they don't happen again. Nevertheless the leadership sides with Mishin, and Barmin is ordered to prepare the left Proton pad for a launch within 30 to 40 days.

• 1967 November 22 19:07 - Soyuz 7K-L1 s/n 5L Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Second stage - 1 x RD-0210 failure, shutoff of stage 4 seconds after ignition. Launcher crashed downrange.. Proton-K/D 230-01 The launch takes place at 00:07 local time (22:07 on 22 November Moscow time). Glushko, Chelomei, and Kamanin observe the launch from an observation point in -5 deg C weather. Three to four seconds after second stage ignition, the SAS pulls the spacecraft away from the booster. Telemetry shows that engine number 4 of stage 2 never ignited, and after 3.9 seconds the remaining three engines were shut dwon by the SBN (Booster Safety System) and the SAS abort tower fired. The capsule's radio beacon was detected and the spacecraft was found 80 km southwest of Dzhezkazgan, 285 km down range. The Proton problems are maddening. Over 100 rocket launches have used engines from this factory, with no previous failure. Of ten of the last launches under Mishin's direction (6 Soyuz and 4 L1) only two have went well - an 80% failure rate! Mishin is totally without luck. Kamanin and Leonov take an An-12 to see the L1 at its landing point. Leonov wants to see proof that the cosmonauts would be saved in any conditions. The capsule landed in -17 deg C and 12 m/s winds. The parachute pulled the capsule along the ground for 550 m, and the soft landing rockets fired somewhere above the 1.2 m design height. After safing of the APO self-destruct package, the capsule is lifted to an airfield by a Mi-4.

• 1968 March 2 18:29 - Zond 4 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 231-01 Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). What at first seemed to be a success, very much needed by the L1 program, ended in failure. The Proton booster lifted off in 18 m/s winds, -3 deg C temperatures, and into very low clouds - it disappeared from view at only 150 m altitude. Aircraft at 9, 10, and 11 km altitude reported the cloud deck topped 8300 m, with 1.5 to 2.0 km visibility. The spacecraft was successfully launched into a 330,000 km apogee orbit 180 degrees away from the moon. On reentry, the guidance system failed, and the planned double skip maneuver to bring the descent module to a landing in the Soviet Union was not possible. Ustinov had ordered the self-destruct package to be armed and the capsule blew up 12 km above the Gulf of Guinea. Kamanin disagreed strongly with this decision; the spacecraft could have still been recovered in the secondary area by Soviet naval vessels after a 20 G reentry. The decsion was made to recover the spacecraft in the future whenever possible.
  Officially: Solar Orbit (Heliocentric). Study of remote regions of circumterrestrial space, development of new on-board systems and units of space stations.

• 1968 April 22 23:01 - Soyuz 7K-L1 s/n 7L Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Second stage shut-off prematurely due to short-circuit in Zond control system.. Proton-K/D 232-01 L1 launch attempt, lift-off at 02:00 local time. The spacecraft was to separate at 589 seconds into the flight. Instead at 260 seconds, a short circuit in the malfunction detection system incorrectly indicated a launch vehicle failure. This in turn triggered the SAS abort system. The SAS shut down the good stage and separated the spacecraft from the booster. The capsule landed safely 520 km downrange from the launch site. This was the third such abort, which if nothing else proved the reliability of the SAS - all of the spacecraft landed safely.

• 1968 September 14 21:42 - Zond 5 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 234-01 Apogee: 385,000 km (239,000 mi). First successful circumlunar flight with recovery. Test flight of manned spacecraft; launched from an earth parking orbit to make a lunar flyby and return to earth. On September 18, 1968, the spacecraft flew around the moon at an altitude of 1950 km. High quality photographs of the earth were taken at a distance of 90,000 km. A biological payload of turtles, wine flies, meal worms, plants, seeds, bacteria, and other living matter was included in the flight. Before re-entry the gyroscopic platform went off line due to ground operator failure. However this time the self destruct command was not given. After a ballistic 20G re-entry the capsule splashed down in the Indian Ocean at 32:63 S, 65:55 E on September 21, 1968 16:08 GMT. Soviet naval vessels were 100 km from the landing location and recovered the spacecraft the next day, shipping it via Bombay back to Soviet Union.

• 1968 November 10 19:11 - Zond 6 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 235-01 Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). Test flight of manned circumlunar spacecraft. Successfully launched towards the moon with a scientific payload including cosmic-ray and micrometeoroid detectors, photography equipment, and a biological specimens. A midcourse correction on 12 November resulted in a loop around the moon at an altitude of 2,420 km on 14 November. Zond 6 took spectacular photos of the moon’s limb with the earth in the background. Photographs were also taken of the lunar near and far side with panchromatic film from distances of approximately 11,000 km and 3300 km. Each photo was 12.70 by 17.78 cm. Some of the views allowed for stereo pictures. On the return leg a gasket failed, leading to cabin depressurisation, which would have been fatal to a human crew. The 7K-L1 then made the first successful double skip trajectory, dipping into the earth's atmosphere over Antarctica, slowing from 11 km/sec to suborbital velocity, then skipping back out into space before making a final re-entry onto Soviet territory. The landing point was only 16 km from the pad from which it had been launched toward the moon. After the re-entry the main parachute ejected prematurely, ripping the main canopy, leading to the capsule being destroyed on impact with the ground. One negative was recovered from the camera container and a small victory obtained over the Americans. But the criteria for a manned flight had obviously not been met and Mishin's only hope to beet the Americans was a failure or delay in the Apollo 8 flight set for December. The next Zond test was set for January.

• 1968 November 16 11:40 - Proton 4 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 236-01 Apogee: 477 km (296 mi). First launch of the Proton three-stage variant. The satellite studied the nature of high and ultra-high energy cosmic rays and their interaction with atomic nuclei. Scientific payload 12,500 kg; operated for 100 days in orbit.

• 1969 January 20 04:14 - Soyuz 7K-L1 s/n 13L Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Second stage - One RD-0210 engine fails at T+510 sec, resulting in flight path deviation, automatic shutoff of launch vehicle.. Proton-K/D 237-01 Launch failure - but the abort system again functioned perfectly, taking the capsule to a safe landing (in Mongolia!). At 501 seconds into the flight one of the four engines of the second stage shut down, and remained shut down for 25 seconds. The ever-reliable SAS abort system detected the failure, and separated the capsule from the failed booster. Yet again a successful capsule recovery after a booster failure.

• 1969 February 19 06:48 - Ye-8 s/n 201 + Lunokhod s/n 201 - first stage malfunction Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. First-stage engine failure caused the rocket to crash 15 km from the pdad.. Proton-K/D 239-01 Attempted launch of a Ye-8 with a Lunokhod lunar rover. Evidently coordinate in some way with the N1 launch two days later. A first-stage booster engine failure causes the rocket to crash 15 km from the pad after a lift-off at 09:48 local time. Kamanin meanwhile has the Hong Kong flu.

• 1969 March 27 10:40 - M-69 s/n 521 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. T+51s payload shroud failed. Second stage continued but third stage failed to ignite.. Proton-K/D 240-01 Mars probe intended to enter Martian orbit and comprehensively photograph Mars, together with a landing probe.

• 1969 April 2 10:33 - M-69 s/n 522 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. First stage - 1 x RD-253 fire beginning at T+ 0.02 sec, rocket crashed near pad.. Proton-K/D 233-01 Mars probe intended to enter Martian orbit and comprehensively photograph Mars, together with a landing probe. Further Mars launches during the 1969 launch window were cancelled when this attempt resulted in a major accident, which almost wiped out all of the leaders of the space industry. The Proton rocket lifted off, but one engine failed. The vehicle flew at an altitude of 50 m horizontally, finally exploding only a short distance from the launch pad, spraying the whole complex with poisonous propellants that were quickly spread by the wind. Everyone took off in their autos to escape, but which direction to go? Finally it was decided that the launch point was the safest, but this proved to be even more dangerous - the second stage was still intact and liable to explode. The contamination was so bad that there was no way to clean up - the only possibility was just to wait for rain to wash it away. This didn't happen until the Mars launch window was closed, so the first such probe was not put into space until 1971. This accident also severely damaged plans to divert attention from America's Apollo programme during the rest of 1969. 10-12 UR-500K launches had been intended to land on the moon lunar soil return and rover robots to supplement the N1 launches.

• 1969 June 14 04:00 - Ye-8-5 s/n 402 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Block D upper stage did not fire and payload did not attain earth orbit,. Proton-K/D 238-01 Another attempt to launch a Ye-8-5 to return lunar soil to the earth, 'scooping', the Americans' impending Apollo 11 mission. Yet another UR-500K launch failure. This time the UR-500K booster functioned perfectly, but the Block D upper stage did not fire, and the payload did not even attain earth orbit. Every UR-500K launch is costing the Soviet state 100 million roubles. This failure pretty much ended the chances for the Russians to trump the American moon landing. Tass yesterday began running stories to prepare the masses for the upcoming Apollo 11 triumph. The party line is that the Soviet Union is not about to risks the lives of its cosmonauts on flights to the moon, when automated probes can safely retrieve soil from the moon for study on earth.

• 1969 July 13 02:54 - Luna 15 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 242-01 Apogee: 870 km (540 mi). Unmanned soil return mission launched coincident with Apollo 11 mission in last ditch attempt to return lunar soil to earth before United States. After completing 86 communications sessions and 52 orbits of the Moon at various inclinations and altitudes, crashed on the moon on 20 July in an attempted landing. Altitude data used in programming inaccurate or guidance system unable to cope with effect of lunar mascons.
  Officially: Testing of on-board systems of the automatic station and further scientific investigation of the moon and circumlunar space. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1969 August 7 23:48 - Zond 7 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 243-01 Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). Circumlunar flight; successfully recovered in USSR August 13, 1969. Only completely successful L1 flight that could have returned cosmonauts alive or uninjured to earth. Official mission was further studies of the moon and circumlunar space, to obtain colour photography of the earth and the moon from varying distances, and to flight test the spacecraft systems. Earth photos were obtained on August 9, 1969. On August 11, 1969, the spacecraft flew past the moon at a distance of 1984.6 km and conducted two picture taking sessions. Successfully accomplished double-dip re-entry and landed 50 km from aim point near Kustani in the USSR.

• 1969 September 23 14:07 - Cosmos 300 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Block D lost LOX due to valve defect.. Proton-K/D 244-01 Apogee: 189 km (117 mi). Robotic lunar soil return mission. Failed to leave low earth orbit due to Block D stage failure.

• 1969 October 22 14:09 - Cosmos 305 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Block D control system failure.. Proton-K/D 241-01 Apogee: 208 km (129 mi). Robotic lunar soil return mission. Failed to leave low earth orbit due to Block D stage failure.

• 1969 November 28 09:00 - Soyuz 7K-L1E s/n 1 - first stage malfunction Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. First stage malfunction.. Proton-K/D 245-01 Attempted test flight of Block D upper stage in N1 lunar crasher configuration. Payload was a modified Soyuz 7K-L1 circumlunar spacecraft, which provided guidance to the Block D and was equipped with television cameras that viewed the behavior of the Block D stage propellants under zero-G conditions. Mission flown successfully over a year later as Cosmos 382.

• 1970 February 6 04:16 - Ye-8-5 s/n 405 - failure of vehicle on launch Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Failure of vehicle on launch.. Proton-K/D 247-01 Robotic lunar soil return mission.

• 1970 August 18 03:45 - 82-EV Test mission Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 246-01 Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). Heavily instrumented suborbital flight to provide data to root out causes of continuing launch vehicle failures. Heavy mass model of an unspecified spacecraft used to simulate payload..

• 1970 September 12 13:25 - Luna 16 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 248-01 Apogee: 110 km (60 mi). Lunar Sample Return. Landed on Moon 20 September 1970 at 05:18:00 GMT, Latitude 0.68 S, Longitude 56.30 E - Mare Fecunditatis. Luna 16 was launched toward the Moon from a preliminary earth orbit and entered a lunar orbit on September 17, 1970. On September 20, the spacecraft soft landed on the lunar surface as planned. The spacecraft was equipped with an extendable arm with a drilling rig for the collection of a lunar soil sample. After 26 hours and 25 minutes on the lunar surface, the ascent stage, with a hermetically sealed soil sample container, left the lunar surface carrying 100 grams of collected material. It landed in the Soviet Union on September 24, 1970. The lower stage of Luna 16 remained on the lunar surface and continued transmission of lunar temperature and radiation data. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1970 October 20 19:55 - Zond 8 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 250-01 Apogee: 400,000 km (240,000 mi). Final circumlunar flight; successfully recovered October 26, 1970. The announced objectives were investigations of the moon and circumlunar space and testing of onboard systems. The spacecraft obtained photographs of the earth on October 21 from a distance of 64,480 km. The spacecraft transmitted flight images of the earth for three days. Zond 8 flew past the moon on October 24, 1970, at a distance of 1,110.4 km and obtained both black and white and colour photographs of the lunar surface. Scientific measurements were also obtained during the flight. The spacecraft used a new variant of the double-dip re-entry, coming in over the north pole, bouncing off the atmosphere, being tracked by Soviet radar stations as it soared south over the Soviet Union, then making a final precision re-entry followed by splashdown at the recovery point in the Indian Ocean.

• 1970 November 10 14:44 - Luna 17 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 251-01 Apogee: 85 km (52 mi). Luna 17 was launched from an earth parking orbit towards the Moon and entered lunar orbit on November 15, 1970. Luna 17 landed on Moon 17 November 1970 at 03:47:00 GMT, Latitude 38.28 N, Longitude 325.00 E - Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains). The payload, the Lunokhod 1 unmanned rover, rolled down a ramp from the landing stage and began exploring the surface. Lunokhod was intended to operate through three lunar days but actually operated for eleven lunar days (earth months). The operations of Lunokhod officially ceased on October 4, 1971, the anniversary of Sputnik 1. By then it had traveled 10,540 m and had transmitted more than 20,000 TV pictures and more than 200 TV panoramas. It had also conducted more than 500 lunar soil tests. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1970 December 2 17:00 - Cosmos 382 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 252-01 Apogee: 5,269 km (3,273 mi). Test of Block D upper stage in its N1 lunar crasher configuration in earth orbit. The three maneuvers simulated the lunar orbit insertion burn; the lunar orbit circularization burn; and the descent burn to bring the LK lunar lander just over the surface. Payload was a modified Soyuz 7K-L1 circumlunar spacecraft, which provided guidance to the Block D and was equipped with television cameras that viewed the behavior of the Block D stage propellants under zero-G conditions.
  Maneuver Summary:
  190km X 300km orbit to 303km X 5038km orbit. Delta V: 982 m/s
  318km X 5040km orbit to 1616km X 5071km orbit. Delta V: 285 m/s
  1616km X 5071km orbit to 2577km X 5082km orbit. Delta V: 1311 m/s
  Total Delta V: 2578 m/s.

• 1971 April 19 01:40 - Salyut 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 254-01 Apogee: 214 km (132 mi). First manned space station. Salyut 1 included a number of military experiments, including the OD-4 optical visual ranger, the Orion ultraviolet instrument for characterising rocket plumes, and the highly classified Svinets radiometer. Primary objectives included photography of the earth, spectrographs of the earth's horizon, experiments with intense gamma rays, and studying manual methods for station orientation.

  At 05:20 the State Commission and their guests arrive at the Area 95 observation point to view the launch. The booster takes off on schedule at 06:40 in light rain and 60 km/hr wind. The tracking station reports good orbital insertion, separation from the third stage, and antennae and solar panel deployment. But the cover of the scientific equipment bay does not separate. This will mean that many experiments cannot be accomplished. It is decided to launch the crew to the station anyway, since the station is otherwise functioning normally. The cosmonauts go to the baths in the evening.

• 1971 May 10 16:58 - Cosmos 419 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. No Block D ignition due wrong timer setting.. Proton-K/D 253-01 Apogee: 187 km (116 mi). Mars probe intended to enter Martian orbit and comprehensively photograph Mars. Rocket block failed to reignite in Earth Orbit. It is widely believed this spacecraft was launched with the primary purpose of overtaking Mariner 8, which had been launched (unsuccessfully, as it turned out) two days earlier, and becoming the first Mars orbiter. The Proton booster successfully put the spacecraft into low (174 km x 159 km) Earth parking orbit with an inclination of 51.4 degrees, but the Block D stage 4 failed to function due to a bad ignition timer setting (the timer, which was supposed to start ignition 1.5 hours after orbit was erroneously set for 1.5 years.) The orbit decayed and the spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere 2 days later on 12 May 1971. The mission was designated Cosmos 419.

• 1971 May 19 16:22 - Mars 2 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 255-01 Apogee: 25,000 km (15,000 mi). Mars probe intended to conduct of a series of scientific investigations of the planet Mars and the space around it. Parameters are for Mars orbit. Mid-course corrections were made on 17 June and 20 November. Mars 2 released the descent module (1971-045D) 4.5 hours before reaching Mars on 27 November 1971. The descent system malfunctioned and the lander crashed at 45 deg S, 302 deg W, delivering the Soviet Union coat of arms to the surface. Meanwhile, the orbiter engine performed a burn to put the spacecraft into a 1380 x 24,940 km, 18 hour orbit about Mars with an inclination of 48.9 degrees. Scientific instruments were generally turned on for about 30 minutes near periapsis. Data was sent back for many months. It was announced that Mars 2 and 3 had completed their missions by 22 August 1972. On-orbit dry mass: 2265 kg. Had the lander survived, data would have been relayed to the earth via the orbiter.

• 1971 May 28 15:26 - Mars 3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 249-01 Apogee: 214,500 km (133,200 mi). Mars probe intended to conduct of a series of scientific investigations of the planet Mars and the space around it. Parameters are for Mars orbit. The Mars 3 orbiter also carried a French-built experiment which was not carried on Mars 2. Called Spectrum 1, the instrument measured solar radiation at metric wavelengths in conjunction with Earth-based receivers to study the cause of solar outbursts. The Spectrum 1 antenna was mounted on one of the solar panels. A mid-course correction was made on 8 June. The descent module (COSPAR 1971-049F) was released at 09:14 GMT on 2 December 1971 about 4.5 hours before reaching Mars. Through aerodynamic braking, parachutes, and retro-rockets, the lander achieved a soft landing at 45 S, 158 W and began operations. However, after 20 sec the instruments stopped working for unknown reasons. Meanwhile, the orbiter engine performed a burn to put the spacecraft into a long 11-day period orbit about Mars with an inclination thought to be similar to that of Mars 2 (48.9 degrees). Data was sent back for many months. It was announced that Mars 2 and 3 had completed their missions by 22 August 1972.

• 1971 September 2 13:40 - Luna 18 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 256-01 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Attempted lunar soil return mission; crashed while attempting to soft land at Latitude 3.57 N, Longitude 50.50 E - Mare Fecunditatis. Luna 18 used a new method of navigation in lunar orbit and for landing. The spacecraft's designer, Babakhin, had died at age 56 only the month before. Luna 18 successfully reached earth parking orbit before being put on a translunar trajectory. On September 7, 1971, it entered lunar orbit. The spacecraft completed 85 communications sessions and 54 lunar orbits before it was sent towards the lunar surface by use of braking rockets. It impacted the Moon on September 11, 1971, in a rugged mountainous terrain. Signals ceased at the moment of impact. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1971 September 28 10:00 - Luna 19 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 257-01 Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). Heavy lunar Orbiter; conducted lunar surface mapping. Luna 19 entered an intermediate earth parking orbit and was then put on a translunar trajectory by the Proton Block D stage. It entered lunar orbit on October 3, 1971. Luna 19 extended the systematic study of lunar gravitational fields and location of mascons (mass concentrations). It also studied the lunar radiation environment, the gamma-active lunar surface, and the solar wind. Photographic coverage via a television system was also obtained. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1972 February 14 03:27 - Luna 20 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 258-01 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Soft landed on Moon; returned soil samples to Earth. Landed on Moon 21 February 1972 at 19:19:00 GMT, Latitude 3.57 N, Longitude 56.50 E - Mare Fecunditatis. Luna 20 was placed in an intermediate earth parking orbit and from this orbit was sent towards the Moon. It entered lunar orbit on February 18, 1972. On 21 February 1972, Luna 20 soft landed on the Moon in a mountainous area known as the Apollonius highlands, 120 km from where Luna 18 had crashed. While on the lunar surface, the panoramic television system was operated. Lunar samples were obtained by means of an extendable drilling apparatus. The ascent stage of Luna 20 was launched from the lunar surface on 22 February 1972 carrying 30 grams of collected lunar samples in a sealed capsule. It landed in the Soviet Union on 25 February 1972. The lunar samples were recovered the following day.

• 1972 July 29 03:20 - Zarya s/n 122 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Second stage malfunction at T+ 162 sec.. Proton-K 260-01 Second Salyut space station (DOS 2), failed to reach orbit.

• 1973 January 8 06:55 - Luna 21 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 259-01 Apogee: 110 km (60 mi). The Proton / Block D launcher put the spacecraft into Earth parking orbit followed by translunar injection. On 12 January 1973, Luna 21 braked into a 90 x 100 km orbit about the Moon. On 13 and 14 January, the perilune was lowered to 16 km altitude. On 15 January after 40 orbits, the braking rocket was fired at 16 km altitude, and the craft went into free fall. At an altitude of 750 meters the main thrusters began firing, slowing the fall until a height of 22 meters was reached. At this point the main thrusters shut down and the secondary thrusters ignited, slowing the fall until the lander was 1.5 meters above the surface, where the engine was cut off. Landing occurred at 23:35 GMT in LeMonnier crater at 25.85 degrees N, 30.45 degrees E. The lander carried a bas relief of Lenin and the Soviet coat-of-arms. After landing, Lunokhod 2 took TV images of the surrounding area, then rolled down a ramp to the surface at 01:14 GMT on 16 January and took pictures of the Luna 21 lander and landing site. It stopped and charged batteries until 18 January, took more images of the lander and landing site, and then set out over the Moon. The rover would run during the lunar day, stopping occasionally to recharge its batteries via the solar panels. At night the rover would hibernate until the next sunrise, heated by the radioactive source. Lunokhod 2 operated for about 4 months, covered 37 km of terrain including hilly upland areas and rilles, and sent back 86 panoramic images and over 80,000 TV pictures. Many mechanical tests of the surface, laser ranging measurements, and other experiments were completed during this time. On June 4 it was announced that the program was completed, leading to speculation that the vehicle probably failed in mid-May or could not be revived after the lunar night of May-June. The Lunokhod was not left in a position such that the laser retroreflector could be used, indicating that the failure may have happened suddenly.

• 1973 April 3 09:00 - Salyut 2 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 283-01 Apogee: 248 km (154 mi). The first flight of the Almaz manned military space station. In January 1973 the first Almaz OPS was delivered to Baikonur. Launch and initial orbital checkout went according to plan. But before a crew could be launched the station depressurized. It was concluded that a short in electrical equipment started a fire in pressure vessel, leading to rupture of hull and depressurization. An alternate theory was that debris from an explosion of the third stage of Proton penetrated the hull. Control was lost on April 25, 1973, and the OPS cased operations on 29 April. Decayed May 28, 1973. Initial crew was to have been Popovich and Artyukhin.
  Officially: Testing of improved design, on-board systems and equipment; conduct of scientific and technical research and experiments.

• 1973 May 11 00:20 - Cosmos 557 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 284-01 Apogee: 225 km (139 mi). Salyut failure. Unsuccessful mission. Salyut out of control. Decayed May 22, 1973. Was to have been manned by initial crew of Leonov and Kubasov. Last chance to upstage Skylab, launched three days later.

• 1973 July 21 19:30 - Mars 4 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 261-01 Failed; did not enter Martian orbit as planned; intended to be a Mars orbiter mission. Mars 4 reached Mars on 10 February 1974. Due to use of helium in preflight tests of the computer chips, which resulted in degradation of the chips during the voyage to Mars, the retro-rockets never fired to slow the craft into Mars orbit. Mars 4 flew by the planet at a range of 2,200 km. It returned one swath of pictures and some radio occultation data. Final heliocentric orbit 1.02 x 1.63 AU, 2.2 degree inclination, 556 day period.

• 1973 July 25 18:55 - Mars 5 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 262-01 Mars probe intended to enter Martian orbit and comprehensively photograph Mars. Parameters are for Mars orbit. Mars 5 reached Mars on 12 February 1974 and was inserted into a 1760 km x 32,586 km orbit. Due to computer chip failures the orbiter operated only a few days and returned atmospheric data and images of a small portion of the Martian southern hemisphere.

• 1973 August 5 17:45 - Mars 6 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 281-01 Mars probe intended to make a soft landing on Mars. Total fueled launch mass of the lander and orbital bus was 3260 kg. It reached Mars on 12 March 1974, separated from the bus, and entered the atmosphere, where a parachute opened, slowing the descent. As the probe descended through the atmosphere it transmitted data for 150 seconds, representing the first data returned from the atmosphere of Mars. Unfortunately, the data were largely unreadable due to a flaw in a computer chip which led to degradation of the system during its journey to Mars. When the retro-rockets fired for landing, contact was lost with the craft. Mars 6 landed at about 24 degrees south, 25 degrees west in the Margaritifer Sinus region of Mars. Bus ended up in a final heliocentric orbit 1.01 x 1.67 AU, 2.2 degree inclination, 567 day period.

• 1973 August 9 17:00 - Mars 7 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 281-02 Mars probe intended to make a soft landing on Mars. Mars 7 reached Mars on 9 March 1974. Due to a problem in the operation of one of the onboard systems (attitude control or retro-rockets) the landing probe separated prematurely and missed the planet by 1,300 km. The early separation was probably due to a computer chip error which resulted in degradation of the systems during the trip to Mars. Ended up in a final heliocentric orbit 1.01 x 1.69 AU, 2.2 degree inclination, 574 day period.

• 1974 March 26 13:35 - Cosmos 637 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Proton-K/DM 282-01 Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Test of Block D stage in geosynchronous satellite delivery role. Placed dummy Raduga satellite in geosynchronous orbit. As of 4 September 2001 located at 44.61 deg E drifting at 1.835 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 119.66E drifting at 1.819E degrees per day.

• 1974 May 29 08:56 - Luna 22 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 282-02 Apogee: 220 km (130 mi). Heavy lunar orbiter. Scientific investigation of the moon and circumlunar space from the orbit of an artificial satellite of the Moon, which was begun by the Luna 19 automatic station. The spacecraft carried imaging cameras and also had the objectives of studying the Moon's magnetic field, surface gamma ray emissions and composition of lunar surface rocks, and the gravitational field, as well as micrometeoroids and cosmic rays. Luna 22 braked into a circular lunar orbit on 2 June 1974. The spacecraft made many orbit adjustments over its 18 month lifetime in order to optimise the operation of various experiments, lowering the perilune to as low as 25 km. Manoeuvring fuel was exhausted on 2 September and the mission was ended in early November. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1974 June 24 22:38 - Salyut 3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 283-02 Apogee: 253 km (157 mi). First successful Almaz military manned space station flight. Tested a wide array of reconnaissance sensors. Following the successful Soyuz 14 and unsuccessful Soyuz 15 missions, on 23 September 1974 the station ejected a film return capsule. The KSI capsule suffered damage during re-entry but all the film was recoverable. On 24 January 1975 trials of the on-board 23 mm Nudelmann aircraft cannon (other sources say it was a Nudelmann NR-30 30 mm gun) were conducted. The next day the station was commanded to retrofire to a destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. Although only one of three planned crews managed to board the station, that crew did complete the first completely successful Soviet space station flight.

• 1974 July 29 12:00 - Molniya 1-S Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Proton-K/DM 287-01 Apogee: 35,848 km (22,274 mi). Evidently a unique experimental satellite. Arrangements for experimental television broadcasts and establishment of long-range radio-communications. As of 29 August 2001 located at 104.72 deg E drifting at 0.115 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 41.05E drifting at 0.029W degrees per day.

• 1974 October 28 14:30 - Luna 23 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 285-01 Apogee: 105 km (65 mi). Failed lunar soil return mission. After successfully entering earth orbit, flying to the moon, entering lunar orbit, and descending toward the surface, the spacecraft was damaged during landing in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises). The sample collecting apparatus could not operate and no samples were returned. The lander continued transmissions for three days after landing. In 1976, Luna 24 landed several hundred meters away and successfully returned samples. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

• 1974 December 26 04:15 - Salyut 4 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 284-02 Apogee: 251 km (155 mi). Deorbited February 2, 1977.
  Maneuver Summary:
  211km X 250km orbit to 215km X 286km orbit. Delta V: 11 m/s
  211km X 284km orbit to 276km X 344km orbit. Delta V: 35 m/s
  277km X 342km orbit to 338km X 351km orbit. Delta V: 19 m/s
  330km X 340km orbit to 337km X 350km orbit. Delta V: 4 m/s
  337km X 349km orbit to 339km X 351km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
  332km X 348km orbit to 348km X 355km orbit. Delta V: 6 m/s
  347km X 354km orbit to 343km X 351km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
  335km X 344km orbit to 335km X 360km orbit. Delta V: 4 m/s
  335km X 360km orbit to 342km X 361km orbit. Delta V: 2 m/s
  330km X 351km orbit to 344km X 353km orbit. Delta V: 4 m/s
  186km X 187km orbit to 90km X 186km orbit. Delta V: 28 m/s
  Total Delta V: 87/115 m/s.
  Officially: Further testing of station design, on-board systems and equipment; conduct of scientific and technical research and experiments in outer space. Further testing of station design, on-board systems and equipment; conduct of scientific and technical researc h and experiments in outer space.

• 1975 June 8 02:38 - Venera 9 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 286-01 Apogee: 112,200 km (69,700 mi). Combined Venus orbiter/lander mission. After separation of the lander, the orbiter spacecraft entered Venus orbit and acted as a communications relay for the lander and explored cloud layers and atmospheric parameters. On October 20, 1975, the Descent Craft was separated from the Orbiter, and landing was made with the sun near zenith at 05:13 GMT on October 22. The Descent Craft included a system of circulating fluid to distribute the heat load. This system, plus precooling prior to entry, permitted operation of the spacecraft for 53 min after landing. The landing was about 2,200 km from the Venera 10 landing site. Preliminary results indicated: (A) clouds 30-40 km thick with bases at 30-35 km altitude, (B) atmospheric constituents including HCl, HF, Br, and I, (C) surface pressure about 90 (earth) atmospheres, (D) surface temperature 485 deg C, (E) light levels comparable to those at earth midlatitudes on a cloudy summer day, and (F) successful TV photography showing shadows, no apparent dust in the air, and a variety of 30-40 cm rocks which were not eroded. Venera 9 and 10 were the first probes to send back black and white pictures from the Venusian surface. They were supposed to make 360 degree panoramic shots, but on both landers one of two camera covers failed to come off, restricting their field of view to 180 degrees. Parameters are for Venus orbit.

• 1975 June 14 03:00 - Venera 10 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Proton-K/D 285-02 Apogee: 113,900 km (70,700 mi). The orbiter spacecraft entered Venus orbit and was separated from the lander on October 23, 1975. The lander touched down with the sun near zenith, at 05:17 GMT, on October 25. A system of circulating fluid was used to distribute the heat load. This system, plus precooling prior to entry, permitted operation of the spacecraft for 65 min after landing. During descent, heat dissipation and deceleration were accomplished sequentially by protective hemispheric shells, three parachutes, a disk-shaped drag brake, and a compressible, metal, doughnut-shaped, landing cushion. The landing was about 2,200 km distant from Venera 9. Preliminary results provided: (A) profile of altitude (km)/pressure (earth atmospheres) / temperature (deg C) of 42/3.3/158, 15/37/363, and 0/92/465, (B) successful TV photography showing large pancake rocks with lava or other weathered rocks in between, and (C) surface wind speed of 3.5 m/s. Venera 9 and 10 were the first probes to send back black and white pictures from the Venusian surface. They were supposed to make 360 degree panoramic shots, but on both landers one of two camera covers failed to come off, restricting their field of view to 180 degrees.

• 1975 October 8 00:30 - Cosmos 775 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Proton-K/DM 286-02 Apogee: 35,853 km (22,277 mi). First launch of a prototype for a new geosynchronous ballistic missile early warning satellite. Exploded in orbit. The next launch did not come until nine years later, so this may have been a version of the Oko elliptical orbit early warning satellite. As of 29 August 2001 located at 113.71 deg E drifting at 0.044 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 54.82E drifting at 0.255W degrees per day.

• 1975 October 16 04:04 - Ye-8-5M s/n 412 - Block D stage failed. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. Block D stage failed.. Proton-K/D 287-02 Attempted robotic lunar soil return mission. Block D stage failed.

• 1975 December 22 13:00 - Raduga 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Proton-K/DM 288-01 Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). Statsionar-1. Provision of uninterrupted round-the-clock telephone and telegraph radio-communications system in the USSR, transmission of USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita network and international cooperation. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 85 deg E in 1975-1978? As of 27 August 2001 located at 70.55 deg E drifting at 0.084 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 85.79E drifting at 0.009E degrees per day.

• 1976 June 22 18:04 - Salyut 5 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 290-02 Apogee: 232 km (144 mi). Second successful flight of the Almaz manned military space station. It had taken only 60 days and 1450 man-hours to prepare Almaz 0101-2 for flight, using the services of 368 officers and 337 non-commissioned officers. The tracking ships Academician Sergei Korolev and Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin were stationed in the Atlantic and Caribean to provide communications when out of tracking range of the USSR. Salyut 5 operated for 409 days, during which the crews of Soyuz 22 and 24 visited the station. Soyuz 23 was to have docked but its long-distance rendezvous system failed. Soyuz 25 was planned, but the mission would have been incomplete due to low orientation fuel on Salyut 5, so it was cancelled.

  During the flight of Salyut 5 a 'parallel crew' was aboard a duplicate station on the ground. They conducted the same operations in support of over 300 astrophysical, geophysical, technological, and medical/biological experiments. Astrophysics studies included an infrared telescope-spectrometer in the 2-15 micrometer range which also obtained solar spectra. Earth resources studies were conducted as well as Kristall, Potok, Diffuziya, Sfera, and Reatsiya technology experiments. Presumably Salyut 5 was equipped with a SAR side-looking radar for reconnaissance of land and sea targets even through cloud cover.

  The film capsule was ejected 22 February 1977 (and sold at Sotheby's, New York, on December 11, 1993!). The station was deorbited on 8 August 1977. In addition to the human crew two Russian tortoises (Testudo horsfieldi) and Zebrafish (Danio rerio) were flown.

  The results of the Salyut 3 and 5 flights showed that manned reconnaissance was not worth the expense. There was minimal time to operate the equipment after the crew took the necessary time for maintenance of station housekeeping and environmental control systems. The experiments themselves showed good results and especially the value of reconnaissance of the same location in many different spectral bands and parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

• 1976 August 9 15:04 - Luna 24 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824M. Proton-K/D-1 288-02 Apogee: 115 km (71 mi). Lunar Sample Return. Landed on Moon 18 Aug 1976 at 02:00:00 GMT, Latitude 12.25 N, Longitude 62.20 E - Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis). The last of the Luna series of spacecraft, Luna 24 was the third Soviet mission to retrieve lunar ground samples (the first two were returned by Luna 16 and 20). The mission successfully returned 170 grams of lunar samples to the Earth on 22 August 1976.

• 1976 September 11 18:24 - Raduga 2 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Proton-K/DM 289-01 Apogee: 35,866 km (22,286 mi). Statsionar 1. Provision of uninterrupted round the clock telephone and telegraph radiocommunication in the USSR and simultaneous transmission of colour and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita network. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 86 deg E in 1976-1980? As of 28 August 2001 located at 67.16 deg E drifting at 0.070 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 72.27E drifting at 0.098W degrees per day.

• 1976 October 26 14:50 - Ekran 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S86. Proton-K/DM 290-01 Apogee: 36,080 km (22,410 mi). Statsionar T. Transmission of colour and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to the network of public receiving units located in population centres in Siberia and the Far North. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Indian Ocean at 99 deg E in 1976-1978 As of 29 August 2001 located at 68.75 deg E drifting at 0.171 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 73.60E drifting at 0.187W degrees per day.

• 1976 December 15 01:30 - Cosmos 881 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 289-02 Apogee: 241 km (149 mi). Launch of mission LVI-1 came at 04:00 on 15 December. At 176 seconds the ADU escape tower separated from the LVI. Once the final stage had shut down in orbit, by command from the launch vehicle sequencer, the VA 009A (also given as 009P) and its TDU separated from the LVI. Two seconds later VA 009 (or 009L) was ejected. Fifteen minutes after launch all systems of the both VA capsules were in operation. The guidance system detected the direction of flight and oriented each spacecraft for retro-fire, and the pair began the return to earth after less than one revolution. At an external atmospheric pressure of 165 mm (10 km altitude) the NO section jettisoned, the three-cupola drogue parachute ejected, and the antennae and altimeter were deployed. The Komara landing radio beacon (installed on the landing section of the parachute) was activated when the spacecraft was 1.0 to 1.5 m above the ground - which occurred at the same moment on both 009 and 009A. The Kaktus special system tripped the soft landing PRSP (parachute landing propulsion system). The soft landing was accomplished with higher accuracy than Soyuz, both capsules being recovered at 44 deg N, 73 deg E, on December 15, 1976 3:00 GMT. The flights were officially given the designations Cosmos 881 (VA 009A) and Cosmos 882 (VA 009). US intelligence believed them to be tests of recoverable manned spaceplane prototypes.

• 1977 July 17 09:00 - Cosmos 929 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 293-02 Apogee: 260 km (160 mi). First test of TKS manned shuttle. Maneuvered extensively. TKS-VA capsule returned to earth August 16, 1977. Deorbited February 2, 1978.
  Maneuver Summary:
  214 km X 261 km orbit to 215 km X 279 km orbit. Delta V: 5 m/s
  207 km X 261 km orbit to 208 km X 264 km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
  208 km X 260 km orbit to 209 km X 267 km orbit. Delta V: 2 m/s
  192 km X 222 km orbit to 219 km X 232 km orbit. Delta V: 9 m/s
  219 km X 232 km orbit to 303 km X 327 km orbit. Delta V: 51 m/s
  303 km X 327 km orbit to 312 km X 318 km orbit. Delta V: 4 m/s
  312 km X 319 km orbit to 314 km X 325 km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
  284 km X 294 km orbit to 290 km X 301 km orbit. Delta V: 3 m/s
  288 km X 300 km orbit to 286 km X 305 km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
  285 km X 303 km orbit to 439 km X 447 km orbit. Delta V: 84 m/s
  437 km X 448 km orbit to 335 km X 437 km orbit. Delta V: 31 m/s
  335 km X 437 km orbit to 337 km X 438 km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
  337 km X 438 km orbit to 90 km X 337 km orbit. Delta V: 100 m/s
  Total Delta V: 193/293 m/s
  Officially: Investigation of the upper atmosphere and outer space.

• 1977 August 4 22:00 - TKS VA s/n 009L/P Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. First stage engine steering unit failure at T+40.1 seconds. Proton-K 293-01 Spacecraft lost in booster explosion.

• 1977 September 29 06:50 - Salyut 6 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 295-01 Apogee: 237 km (147 mi). Conduct of scientific and technical research and experiments; further testing of station design, on-board system and equipment. Soyuz 25 docking unsuccessful. EVA 20 Dec 1977 to examine forward docking port (no damage). EVA 29 July 1978 to retrieve externally mounted experiments (micrometeorites, biopolymers, radiation plates, materials tests). Soyuz 33 failure to dock due to propulsion failure April 1979. Soyuz 34 launched unmanned to provide replacement vehicle June 1979. EVA August 15 to dislodge 10 m diameter KRT-10 radio telescope from aft docking collar. Repair mission Soyuz T-3 December 1980 (temperature control hydraulics). Repair mission Soyuz T-4 March 1981 (stuck solar array). Salyut ejected a module on May 31 (perhaps retained Soyuz Orbital Module). Kosmos 1267 docks 19 June 1981. Commanded to reentry using Kosmos 1267 propulsion system over Pacific July 29 1982.

• 1978 March 30 00:00 - Cosmos 997 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 292-01 Apogee: 230 km (140 mi). Given the on-pad explosion of the LVI-2 launch attempt, plans to crew the upper VA re-entry capsule in the next test was abandoned. LVI-3 (VA's 102P and 102L / Cosmos 997 and Cosmos 998) was launched unmanned four months behind the original schedule. Both capsules were recovered after one orbit. One source indicates that one of the capsules was 009P, on its third launch and second flight to orbit. This was said to have demonstrated the multiple re-entry capability of the heat shield and the first planned reuse of a spacecraft (Gemini 2 was refurbished and reflown as MOL-1 in the 1960's, but was not designed for that purpose).

• 1978 September 9 03:25 - Venera 11 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824M. Proton-K/D-1 296-01 Venera 11 was part of a two-spacecraft mission to study Venus and the interplanetary medium. Each of the two spacecraft, Venera 11 and Venera 12, consisted of a flight platform and a lander probe. Identical instruments were carried on both spacecraft. Venera 11 was launched into a 177 x 205 km, 51.5 degree inclination earth orbit from which it was propelled into a 3.5 month Venus transfer orbit. After ejection of the lander probe, the flight platform continued on past Venus in a heliocentric orbit. Near encounter with Venus occurred on December 25, 1978, at approximately 34,000 km altitude. The flight platform acted as a data relay for the descent craft for 95 minutes until it flew out of range and returned its own measurements on interplanetary space. The Venera 11 descent craft separated from its flight platform on December 23, 1978 and entered the Venus atmosphere two days later at 11.2 km/sec. During the descent, it employed aerodynamic braking followed by parachute braking and ending with atmospheric braking. It made a soft landing on the surface at 06:24 Moscow time on 25 December after a descent time of approximately 1 hour. The touchdown speed was 7-8 m/s.

  Both Venera 11 and 12 landers failed to return colour television views of the surface and perform soil analysis experiments. All of the camera protective covers failed to eject after landing (the cause was not established) The soil drilling experiment was apparently damaged by a leak in the soil collection device, the interior of which was exposed to the high Venusian atmospheric pressure. The leak had probably formed during the descent phase because the lander was less aerodynamically stable than had been thought.

  Two further experiments on the lander failed as well. Results reported included evidence of lightning and thunder, a high Ar36/Ar40 ratio, and the discovery of carbon monoxide at low altitudes.

• 1978 September 14 02:25 - Venera 12 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824M. Proton-K/D-1 296-02 Venera 12 was part of a two-spacecraft mission to study Venus and the interplanetary medium. Each of the two spacecraft, Venera 11 and Venera 12, consisted of a flight platform and a lander probe. Identical instruments were carried on both spacecraft. Venera 12 was launched into a 177 x 205 km, 51.5 degree inclination Earth orbit from which it was propelled into a 3.5 month Venus transfer orbit which involved two mid-course corrections, on 21 September and 14 December. After ejection of the lander probe on 19 December, two days before encounter, the flight platform continued on past Venus in a heliocentric orbit. Near encounter with Venus occurred on December 21, 1978, at approximately 34,000 km altitude. The flight platform acted as a data relay for the descent craft for 110 minutes until it flew out of range and returned to its own measurements on interplanetary space. The Venera 12 descent craft entered the Venus atmosphere at 11.2 km/sec two days after separation from the flight bus. During the descent, it employed aerodynamic braking followed by parachute braking and ending with atmospheric braking. It made a soft landing on the surface at 06:30 Moscow time on 21 December after a descent time of approximately 1 hour. The touchdown speed was 7-8 m/s.

  Both Venera 11 and 12 landers failed to return colour television views of the surface and perform soil analysis experiments. All of the camera protective covers failed to eject after landing (the cause was not established) The soil drilling experiment was apparently damaged by a leak in the soil collection device, the interior of which was exposed to the high Venusian atmospheric pressure. The leak had probably formed during the descent phase because the lander was less aerodynamically stable than had been thought. Therefore the landing gear of the following two landers (Venera-13/14) were equipped with tooth-shaped stabilisers.

  Results reported included evidence of lightning and thunder, a high Ar36/Ar40 ratio, and the discovery of carbon monoxide at low altitudes.

  The Venera-12 flyby bus continued in solar orbit and successfully used its Soviet-French ultraviolet spectrometer to study Comet Bradfield on 13 February 1980 (one year and two months after its Venus encounter). At that time the spacecraft was 190,373,790 km from Earth.

• 1979 May 22 23:00 - Cosmos 1100 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 300-02 Apogee: 222 km (137 mi). The Proton launch vehicle that shut down on the original LVI-4 launch attempt was undamaged, and just a month later, with a switch of payload, LVI-4 was orbited as Cosmos 1100 and 1101. The pair launched were the 102P/102L twins from LVI-3. One capsule failed when the automatic system suffered an electrical distribution failure and it did not land correctly, spending two orbits in space, while the other landed as planned after one orbit. The launch again successfully demonstrated the reusability of the VA capsule. Plans to launch the upper capsule manned were scrubbed due to the inability to get two consecutive failure-free launches of the Proton/TKS-VA.

• 1989 December 15 11:30 - Raduga 24 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 344-01 Apogee: 35,813 km (22,253 mi). Stationed at 45 deg E. Radio telephone and telegraph communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 45 deg E in 1990-1994. Replaced by Raduga 31. As of 3 September 2001 located at 103.47 deg E drifting at 0.067 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 47.08E drifting at 0.104W degrees per day.

• 1990 February 15 07:52 - Raduga 25 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 363-02 Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Stationed at 70 deg E. Provision of telephone and telegraph radiocommunications and television broadcasting. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 70 deg E in 1990-1995; 170 deg W in 1995-1997 As of 5 September 2001 located at 171.03 deg W drifting at 0.038 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 31.27W drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• 1990 November 3 14:40 - Gorizont 21 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 370-01 Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Stationed at 90 deg E. Operation of the long-range telephone and telegraph radio-communications system and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 90 deg E in 1990-1993. Gorizont 28 replaced Gorizont 21 at 90 degrees E in 1993. This allowed Gorizont 21 to be repositioned from mid-November to late-December for the inauguration of a new station at 145 degrees E. 145 deg E in 1993-1999 As of 2 September 2001 located at 4.18 deg E drifting at 0.139 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 5.59E drifting at 0.135E degrees per day.

• 1990 December 20 11:35 - Raduga 26 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 361-01 Apogee: 35,823 km (22,259 mi). Stationed at 85 deg E. Radio telephone and telegraph communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 85 deg E in 1991-1993. Raduga 26 then began a series of small maneuvers coincident with the launch of Raduga 30, and was placed in a graveyard orbit. As of 1 September 2001 located at 93.34 deg E drifting at 0.101 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 52.76E drifting at 0.024W degrees per day.

• 1991 February 28 05:30 - Raduga 27 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 360-02 Apogee: 35,809 km (22,250 mi). Provision of telephone and telegraph radiocommunications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 128 deg E in 1991-1998 As of 29 August 2001 located at 109.47 deg E drifting at 0.276 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 119.06E drifting at 0.198W degrees per day.

• 1991 September 13 17:51 - Cosmos 2155 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 353-01 Apogee: 35,825 km (22,260 mi). Geosynchronous ballistic missile early warning satellite. Declared purpose: 'Relaying of telegraph and telephone information'. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 24 deg W in 1991-1992 As of 3 September 2001 located at 160.51 deg W drifting at 0.257 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 94.69E drifting at 0.424W degrees per day.

• 1991 November 22 13:27 - Cosmos 2172 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 353-02 Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Stationed at 13 deg W. Relaying of telegraph and telephone information. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 14 deg W in 1991-1995 As of 1 September 2001 located at 7.91 deg W drifting at 0.026 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 39.91W drifting at 0.204W degrees per day.

• 1991 December 19 11:41 - Raduga 28 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 355-01 Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Telephone and telegraph communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 35 deg E in 1992-1999; 45 deg E in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 61.74 deg E drifting at 0.302 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 115.81E drifting at 0.085E degrees per day.

• 1992 January 29 22:19 - Cosmos 2177 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 372-02 Apogee: 19,146 km (11,896 mi). Glonass navigational satellite. Testing of components and apparatus of the Glonass global space navigation system being set up to determine the position of civil aircraft and vessels of the merchant marine and fishing fleet.

• 1992 April 2 01:50 - Gorizont 25 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 369-01 Apogee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Stationed at 103 deg E. Transmission of Russian radio and television programmes in Siberia and the solution of communications problems in Russia's eastern regions. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 103 deg E in 1992-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 140.44 deg E drifting at 0.018 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 44.59W drifting at 1.512W degrees per day.

• 1992 July 14 22:02 - Gorizont 26 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 371-02 Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Stationed at 349 deg E. Development of the communications and television broadcasting system. Launched in the interests of the Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 11 deg W in 1992-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 13.53 deg W drifting at 0.004 deg E per day. As of 2007 Feb 21 located at 16.60E drifting at 0.001E degrees per day.

• 1992 July 30 01:59 - Cosmos 2204 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 376-01 Apogee: 19,148 km (11,897 mi). Glonass. Testing of components and apparatus of the Glonass global space navigation system being set up to determine the position of civil aircraft and vessels of the merchant marine and fishing fleet. Constellation 3. Put into service on 30 July 1992 and taken out of service on 4 August 1997.

• 1992 September 10 18:01 - Cosmos 2209 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 363-01 Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Geosynchronous ballistic missile early warning satellite. Stationed at 24 deg W. Declared purpose:'Investigation of outer space and of processes occurring in the Earth's atmosphere'. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 24 deg W in 1992-1996 As of 5 September 2001 located at 68.52 deg W drifting at 0.336 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 171.17W drifting at 0.109E degrees per day.

• 1992 October 30 14:59 - Ekran 20 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 372-01 Apogee: 35,803 km (22,246 mi). Transmission of television programmes to a network of multiple user receiving stations. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg E in 1992-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 79.69 deg E drifting at 0.201 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 78.67E drifting at 0.192E degrees per day.

• 1992 November 27 13:10 - Gorizont 27 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 364-01 Apogee: 35,794 km (22,241 mi). Stationed at 53 deg E. Development of the communications and television broadcasting system. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 53 deg E in 1992-1996; 96 deg E in 1996-1998; 50 deg E in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 26.46 deg E drifting at 0.193 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 26.21E drifting at 0.345W degrees per day.

• 1993 February 17 20:09 - Cosmos 2234 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 362-01 Apogee: 19,152 km (11,900 mi). Glonass navigation spacecraft. Work on the Glonass global space navigation system being set up to determine the position of civil aircraft and vessels of the merchant marine and fishing fleet.

• 1993 March 25 02:28 - Raduga 29 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 358-01 Apogee: 35,802 km (22,246 mi). Telephone and telegraph communications and transmission of television programmes. Raduga 29 joined Raduga 22. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 12 deg E in 1993-1999. As of 3 September 2001 located at 11.13 deg E drifting at 0.020 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 2 located at 61.26E drifting at 0.381E degrees per day.

• 1993 May 27 01:22 - Gorizont s/n 39L Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Second stage did not reach planned velocity. Cause determined to be propellant contamination.. Proton-K/DM-2 364-02

• 1993 September 30 17:05 - Raduga 30 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 359-01 Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Stationed at 83 deg E, replacing Raduga-26. Operation of telephone and telegraph radio communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 85 deg E in 1993-1999 As of 6 September 2001 located at 86.23 deg E drifting at 0.009 deg W per day. Raduga 30 followed on 30 September 1993 and was transferred to 85 degrees E. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 74.18E drifting at 0.046E degrees per day.

• 1993 October 28 15:17 - Gorizont 28 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 368-01 Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Gorizont 28 replaced Gorizont 21 at 90 degrees E. This allowed Gorizont 21 to be repositioned from mid-November to late-December for the inauguration of a new station at 145 degrees E. As of 6 September 2001 located at 96.68 deg E drifting at 0.011 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 116.96E drifting at 0.001E degrees per day.

• 1993 November 18 13:54 - Gorizont 29 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 367-01 Apogee: 35,835 km (22,266 mi). Gorizont 29 (18 November 1993) and 30 (20 May 1994) were launched for Rimsat, Ltd., to provide communications services in the Pacific region under an agreement signed in 1992 between Rimsat and the Applied Mechanics NPO. Gorizont 29 was located at 130 degrees E in accordance with a lease arrangement with Rimsat Corporation (using slots allocated to Tonga by the International Telecommunications Union). Intended for use under commercial conditions. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 130 deg E in 1993-1997; 161 deg E in 1997-1998; 130 deg E in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 130.39 deg E drifting at 0.011 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 8 located at 168.05E drifting at 0.374W degrees per day.

• 1994 January 20 09:49 - Gals Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 358-02 Apogee: 36,121 km (22,444 mi). Direct broadcasting satellite (new generation of satellites) intended for development of the Russian television system and international cooperation. Also tested SPT-100 plasma engine. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 71 deg E in 1994-1996; 36 deg E in 1996-1999; 42 deg E in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 37.30 deg E drifting at 0.121 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 67.44E drifting at 0.298E degrees per day.

• 1994 February 5 08:46 - Raduga 1-3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 375-02 Apogee: 36,513 km (22,688 mi). Joined Raduga 1-2 at 48 deg E; third launch of alternate Raduga design. Extension of the telephone and telegraph radio communications system on the territory of the Russian Federation. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 49 deg E in 1994-1999 As of 1 September 2001 located at 49.75 deg E drifting at 0.057 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 100.54E drifting at 0.021W degrees per day.

• 1994 February 18 07:56 - Raduga 31 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 376-02 Apogee: 36,483 km (22,669 mi). Stationed at 44 deg E; replaced Raduga 24. Operation of telephone and telegraph radio communications and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 45 deg E in 1994-1995 As of 29 August 2001 located at 65.21 deg E drifting at 0.236 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 81.01E drifting at 0.234E degrees per day.

• 1994 April 11 07:49 - Cosmos 2275 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 377-01 Apogee: 19,143 km (11,894 mi). Glonass navigational satellite.

• 1994 May 20 02:01 - Gorizont 30 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 357-01 Apogee: 35,833 km (22,265 mi). Stationed at 142.5 deg E as 'Rimsat-2' - leased to Rimsat Corporation, using an orbital slot allocated to Tonga. Communications satellite intended for use under commercial conditions. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 142 deg E in 1994-1997; 122 deg E in 1997-1999; 142 deg E in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 142.86 deg E drifting at 0.016 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 173.22W drifting at 0.132W degrees per day.

• 1994 July 6 23:58 - Cosmos 2282 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 365-02 Apogee: 35,817 km (22,255 mi). Geosynchronous ballistic missile early warning satellite. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 24 deg W in 1994-1995 As of 5 September 2001 located at 170.85 deg W drifting at 0.127 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 58.90W drifting at 0.281E degrees per day.

• 1994 August 11 15:27 - Cosmos 2287 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 367-02 Apogee: 19,142 km (11,894 mi). Glonass navigation satellite.

• 1994 October 31 14:30 - Elektro 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 361-02 Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Stationed at 76.61 deg E. Elektro 1 was finally launched on 31 October 1994, 15 years after its original public schedule. Malfunction of the local vertical sensor and the attitude control system delayed the positioning of the spacecraft at its intended location of 76 degrees E, but by early December Elektro 1 was on station. However problems with the local vertical sensor continued to plague the spacecraft, and useful images were not available. Stayed in geosynchronous orbit at 76 deg E in 1995-1998 before being shut down. As of 4 September 2001 located at 71.89 deg E drifting at 0.069 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 67.89E drifting at 0.000W degrees per day.

• 1994 December 16 12:00 - Luch Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 373-02 Apogee: 35,815 km (22,254 mi). Stationed at 95 deg E. Relaying of telegraph and telephone information. Improved Altair/SR geosynchronous satellite for communication with Mir space station and other orbital spacecraft. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 95 deg E in 1994-1997; 16 deg W in 1997-1998 As of 4 September 2001 located at 143.35 deg W drifting at 0.319 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 64.95W drifting at 0.320E degrees per day.

• 1994 December 28 11:31 - Raduga 32 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 366-01 Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Raduga 32 joined Raduga 25 and Raduga 1-1 at 70 degrees E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 70 deg E in 1995-1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 80.00 deg E drifting at 0.001 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 73.08E drifting at 0.033E degrees per day.

• 1995 May 20 03:33 - Spektr Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 378-02 Apogee: 335 km (208 mi). MIR experiment module. Docked to Mir Jun 1
  Officially: Docked to Mir Jun 1

• 1995 October 11 16:26 - Luch 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 386-01 Apogee: 35,817 km (22,255 mi). Stationed at 77 deg E. Relaying of telegraph and telephone information. Improved Altair/SR geosynchronous satellite for communication with Mir space station and other orbital spacecraft. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 77 deg E in 1995-1999 As of 2 September 2001 located at 75.63 deg E drifting at 0.029 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 77.39E drifting at 0.002E degrees per day.

• 1996 April 8 23:09 - Astra 1F Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 390-01 Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Geostationary at 19.3E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 19 deg E in 1996-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 19.16 deg E drifting at 0.002 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 19.18E drifting at 0.016W degrees per day.

• 1996 April 23 11:48 - Priroda Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 385-01 Apogee: 347 km (215 mi). LEO. Remote sensing module for Mir space station Docked with Mir Apr 26.

• 1996 September 6 17:37 - Inmarsat 3 F2 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 375-01 Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). Geostationary at 15.5W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 15 deg W in 1996-1999 As of 4 September 2001 located at 15.48 deg W drifting at 0.005 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 7 located at 15.47W drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.

• 1997 May 24 17:00 - Telstar 5 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 380-02 Apogee: 35,794 km (22,241 mi). Geosynchronous. Stationed over 97.0W Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 97 deg W in 1997-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 96.99 deg W drifting at 0.006 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 97.04W drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• 1997 June 18 14:02 - Iridium 14 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 17S40. Proton-K/17S40 390-02 Apogee: 778 km (483 mi). Plane 5. Ascending node 294.2 degrees. Not in service.

• 1997 August 28 00:33 - Panamsat 5 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 387-02 Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Geosynchronous. Stationed over 58.0W. Used HS-601 XIPS ion engine for station keeping. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 58 deg W in 1997-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 156.02 deg W drifting at 1.125 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 26.11E drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• 1997 September 14 01:36 - Iridium 29 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 17S40. Proton-K/17S40 391-01 Apogee: 779 km (484 mi). Plane 3. Ascending node 230.9 degrees.

• 1997 December 2 23:10 - Astra 1G Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 382-02 Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Geosynchronous. Stationed over 23.9E Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 19 deg E in 1998-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 19.18 deg E drifting at 0.002 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 19.17E drifting at 0.012W degrees per day.

• 1997 December 24 23:19 - Asiasat 3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. DM-3 Stage failed, leaving spacecraft in geosynchronous transfer orbit.. Proton-K/DM-2M 394-01 Apogee: 35,964 km (22,346 mi). The spacecraft was left in a high inclination useless orbit by a failure of the DM-3 stage and became an insurance writeoff. Two trips around the Moon to remove the inclination under its new owner (Hughes) saw it back into very limited service (as HGS-1) by August 1998 over the Indian Ocean and available for sale at bargain rates. Operated in geosynchronous orbit at 150-154 deg W in 1998; 60 deg W in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 59.68 deg W drifting at 0.024 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 8 located at 169.58W drifting at 0.011W degrees per day.

• 1998 April 7 02:13 - Iridium 62 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 17S40. Proton-K/17S40 391-02 Apogee: 778 km (483 mi). Plane 1. Ascending node 167.9 degrees.

• 1998 May 7 23:45 - Echostar 4 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 393-02 Apogee: 35,789 km (22,238 mi). Geostationary at 148.0 degrees W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 128 deg W in 1998; 148 deg W in 1998-1999; 110 deg W in 1999; 119 deg W in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 118.91 deg W drifting at 0.001 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 77.02W drifting at 0.001W degrees per day.

• 1998 August 30 00:31 - Astra 2A Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 383-01 Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). The first burn of the Proton's Block DM3 put the spacecraft into a 220 x 36,007 km x 51.6 deg transfer orbit. Astra 2A satellite was a Hughes HS-601, owned by Societe Europeene de Satellites, based in Luxembourg. Luxembourg has not registered any of the Astra satellites with the United Nations, in violation of treaty requirements. Geostationary at 28.3 degrees E. Used HS-601 XIPS ion engine for station keeping. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 28 deg E in 1998-1999 As of 4 September 2001 located at 28.21 deg E drifting at 0.001 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 28.20E drifting at 0.028W degrees per day.

• 1998 November 4 05:12 - Panamsat 8 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 395-02 Apogee: 35,810 km (22,250 mi). The Proton launch vehicles Block DM3 fourth stage put the Panamsat PAS 8 into a 6784 km x 35941 km x 17.3 degree transfer orbit. PAS 8 had 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders and was to be located over the Pacific after its R-4D apogee engine manoeuvred the orbit to geostationary altitude and inclination. Geostationary at 166.1 degrees E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 166 deg E in 1998-1999 As of 4 September 2001 located at 166.05 deg E drifting at 0.003 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 165.96E drifting at 0.002E degrees per day.

• 1998 November 20 06:40 - Zarya Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 395-01 Apogee: 402 km (249 mi). This was the first launch in the assembly of the International Space Station. The Zarya FGB was funded by NASA and built by Khrunichev in Moscow under subcontract from Boeing for NASA. Its design from the TKS military station resupply spacecraft of the 1970’s and the later 77KS Mir modules. Zarya included a multiple docking adapter, a pressurised cabin section, and a propulsion/instrument section with a rear docking port. Initial orbit was 176 lm x 343 km x 51.6 degrees. By November 25 it had manoeuvred to a 383 km x 396 km x 51.7 degree orbit, awaiting the launch of Shuttle mission STS-88 which docked the Unity node to it.

• 1999 February 15 05:12 - Telstar 6 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 396-01 Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Loral Skynet's Telstar 6 had a mixed C and Ku band communications payload. The Block DM3 upper stage released Telstar 6 in a 6638 km x 35,756 km x 17.4 degree geosynchronous transfer orbit. After the first burn of its on-board R-4D engine on February 18, Telstar 6 was in a 15,037 km x 35,800 km x 7.9 deg transfer orbit heading for its final geosynchronous slot at 93 deg W Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 93 deg W in 1999. As of 2 September 2001 located at 93.01 deg W drifting at 0.004 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 93.03W drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.

• 1999 February 28 04:00 - Raduga-1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 387-01 Apogee: 35,794 km (22,241 mi). Geosynchronous communications satellite, stationed at 35 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 35 deg E in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 34.80 deg E drifting at 0.013 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 107.14E drifting at 0.165W degrees per day.

• 1999 March 21 00:09 - Asiasat 3S Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 388-01 Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). A replacement for Asiasat 3, placed in the wrong orbit by a Proton launch in 1997, Asiasat 3S carried C and Ku band transponders. The Blok DM3 upper stage placed it a 9,677 km x 35,967 km x 13.1 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit. Asiasat's on-board R4D apogee engine was to be used to raise perigee to geostationary altitude. Mass in transfer orbit was 3,463 kg, down to 2,500 kg after insertion in geostationary orbit. Operated in geosynchronous orbit at 105 deg E from 1999. As of 4 September 2001 located at 105.52 deg E drifting at 0.008 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 105.46E drifting at 0.017W degrees per day.

• 1999 May 20 22:30 - Nimiq 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 396-02 Apogee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Telesat Canada's Nimiq television broadcasting satellite was placed into a 7050 km x 35790 km x 15.9 degree transfer orbit. The Nimiq was to use its liquid apogee engine (Royal Ordnance Leros 1) to reach geosynchronous orbit. Telesat Canada also operated the Anik Canadian domestic communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1972. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 91 deg W in 1999. As of 4 September 2001 located at 91.11 deg W drifting at 0.002 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 91.18W drifting at 0.012W degrees per day.

• 1999 June 18 01:49 - Astra 1H Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 397-02 Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Geosynchronous communications satellite. Stationed at 19 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 19 deg E in 1999. As of 5 September 2001 located at 19.12 deg E drifting at 0.002 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 19.23E drifting at 0.019W degrees per day.

• 1999 July 5 13:32 - Raduga Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / Briz-M. Second stage explosion.. Proton-K/Briz-M 389-01 Apogee: 30 km (18 mi). Carried a Russian Defence Ministry communications satellite. First attempted flight of the Khrunichev Briz-M upper stage in place of the usual Block DM. After the second stage explosion the remainder of the vehicle survived for 45 seconds before breaking up. Debris landed near Karaganda. As a result of this accident the Kazakh government suspended launches from Baikonur pending Russian agreement to pay back part of rent owed.

• 1999 September 6 16:36 - Yamal 101 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 388-02 Apogee: 36,298 km (22,554 mi). The first two Yamal communications satellites were placed into a 197 km x 36,311 km x 49.3 degree transfer orbit The DM-2M fourth stage made two successful burns, placing the satellites in circular 36,000 km geosynchronous orbits. Yamal 101 reportedly ran into problems after it was deployed. RKK Energia built the new Yamal satellites for AO Gazcom of Moscow, a joint venture of RKKE and RAO Gazprom, the Russian natural gas monopoly. The two satellites will support internal communications for RAO Gazprom. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 89 deg E in 1999. As of 30 August 2001 located at 112.86 deg E drifting at 1.484 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 42.96E drifting at 1.484W degrees per day.

• 1999 September 26 22:30 - LMI-1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 398-02 Apogee: 35,789 km (22,238 mi). Geosynchronous communications satellite. Stationed at 75 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 75 deg E in 1999. As of 2 September 2001 located at 74.98 deg E drifting at 0.005 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 75.00E drifting at 0.004W degrees per day.

• 2000 February 12 09:10 - Garuda 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 399-02 Apogee: 35,807 km (22,249 mi). Geosynchronous communications satellite for the ACES consortium (PSN of Indonesia, PLDT of the Phillipines, Lockheed Martin, and Jasmine of Thailand). The satellite had two large 12-m diameter L-band antennae for cellular telephone relay. Stationed at 123 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 123 deg E in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 122.97 deg E drifting at 0.023 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 123.10E drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• 2000 June 6 02:59 - Gorizont Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / Briz-M. Proton-K/Briz-M 392-01 Apogee: 35,798 km (22,243 mi). Communications satellite. First successful Proton/Briz-M launch. The Proton placed the Briz-M/Gorizont payload stack into a suborbital trajectory. The stage then performed four maneuvers to put the satellite into geosynchronous orbit:
  
  • Burn 1 placed the stack into a 200 km, 51.6 deg parking orbit probably inclined at around 51.6
  • Burn 2 raised apogee to 6000 km and changed inclination slightly
  • Burn 3, at second perigee, four hours after launch put the stack in a 369 x 34,988 km x 48.8 deg transfer orbit. The Briz-M then jettisoned its empty toroidal supplementary fuel tank.
  • Burn 4, ten hours after launch, placed Gorizont No. 45L in near-geostationary orbit.
  
  Gorizont No. 45L was expected to be the final launch of that model of television broadcasting satellite. It carried 6 C-band transponders, one L-band, and one Ku-band transponder. The newer Ekspress satellites are replacing the system. Stationed at 145 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 145 deg E in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 145.25 deg E drifting at 0.002 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 144.69E drifting at 0.019W degrees per day.

• 2000 June 30 22:08 - Sirius 1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 400-01 Apogee: 47,107 km (29,270 mi). Digital Audio Radio Satellite, used for transmission of S-band radio broadcasts direct to receivers in cars in the United States. Sirius 1 was inserted into an initial 6,166 x 47110 km x 63.4 deg transfer orbit by the Proton-K's Blok DM3 upper stage. The satellite's R4D liquid apogee engine made several burns to raise the orbit to 24,388 x 47,097 km x 63.3 deg by July 8. This elliptical, inclined 24 hour orbit had a 24 hour period, designed to keep the satellite between longitude 60W and 140W, with apogee over the northern hemisphere. Stationed at 66 deg W. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 66 deg W in 2000. As of 6 September 2001 located at 65.59 deg W drifting at 0.015 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 65.37W drifting at 0.004E degrees per day.

• 2000 July 12 04:56 - Zvezda Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K. Proton-K 398-01 Apogee: 332 km (206 mi). Years behind schedule, the Zvezda living module of the International Space Station, built and financed by Russia, finally reached orbit. Zvezda's initial orbit was 179 x 332 km x 51.6 deg. On July 14 the orbit was raised to 288 x 357 km. ISS was then in a 365 x 372 km orbit. After matching orbits with the ISS, Zvezda then became the passive docking target for the Russian-built, US-financed Zarya module already attached to the station. The Zarya/Unity stack docked with the Zvezda module at 00:45 GMT on July 26, forming the basic core of the International Space Station. A flood of NASA missions would follow to bring the station into operation.

• 2000 August 28 20:08 - Raduga-1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 401-02 Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Raduga-1 military communications satellite initially named Cosmos 2372 by the RVSN press service. Stationed at 50 deg E. As of 5 September 2001 located at 49.25 deg E drifting at 0.048 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 45.70E drifting at 0.012W degrees per day.

• 2000 September 5 09:43 - Sirius 2 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 400-02 Apogee: 47,051 km (29,236 mi). Sirius Radio's Sirius 2 was launched into a 144 x 168 km x 64.8 deg parking orbit. The Blok DM3 stage then made two burns to deliver Sirius 2 to an elliptical 6192 x 47057 km x 63.4 deg orbit. The was to provide digital radio broadcasts to mobile users in North America. Stationed at 64 deg W. As of 31 August 2001 located at 64.56 deg W drifting at 0.003 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 67.77W drifting at 0.049E degrees per day.

• 2000 October 1 22:00 - GE-1A Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 401-01 Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Ku-band communications satellite to provide broadcast services for eastern Asia. Stationed at 108 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 108 deg E in 2000. As of 4 September 2001 located at 108.22 deg E drifting at 0.009 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 108.21E drifting at 0.011W degrees per day.

• 2000 October 13 14:12 - Cosmos 2374 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 393-01 Apogee: 19,136 km (11,890 mi). Three navigation satellites for the GLONASS system were launched by a single Proton-K/Blok DM-2 upper stage into an initial 160 km x 64.8 deg parking orbit. The Blok DM-2 made two burns to maneuver into a 19120 x 19120 km x 64.8 deg orbit and deployed the three satellites about four hours after launch.

• 2000 October 21 - GE 6 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 402-01 Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Communications satellite. Stationed at 72 deg W. The GE 6 was a Lockheed Martin A2100 series satellite with a mass of 3552 kg at launch and 1900 kg dry. It was to provide broadcast and data services in North America. The DM3 upper stage made two burns and placed the GE 6 in a 5850 x 35726 km x 18.7 deg intermediate transfer orbit at 0441 UTC on October 22. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 72 deg W in 2000. As of 3 September 2001 located at 72.01 deg W drifting at 0.008 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 72.00W drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• 2000 November 30 - Sirius CD Radio 3 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 402-02 Apogee: 47,083 km (29,255 mi). Direct Radio Broadcasting satellite. Launch delayed from early October due to delays in delivery of engines. Stationed at 66 deg W. The third Sirius digital radio broadcast satellite was a Loral FS-1300 series vehicle and was placed in an initial elliptical 63 degree orbit by the Proton upper stage. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 66 deg W in 2000. As of 30 August 2001 located at 64.69 deg W drifting at 0.027 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 65.64W drifting at 0.010E degrees per day.

• 2001 April 7 - Ekran-M No. 18 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82M. Proton-M/Briz-M 535-01 Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Direct Broadcasting satellite. Maiden flight of new version of Proton. Launch delayed from August 2000, March 16 and April 6. Ekran-M No. 18 was a UHF television broadcasting satellite which was to be stationed at 99 deg E to provided television service to the Russian Far East. The satellite had a launch mass of around 2100 kg and was to replace the recently failed Ekran-M 15 that had been operating since October 1992 at the 105 deg-E longitude orbital slot.

  The improved 3-stage Proton launch vehicle, with a new digital flight control system and enhanced first stage engines, delivered its payload section to a suborbital trajectory at 0356 GMT. The Briz-M upper stage then fired to enter a 200 km parking orbit. It appears that only two more burns were used to reach geostationary orbit: one at around 0440 GMT to enter a 200 x 35800 km GTO, after which the Briz-M toroidal drop tank was jettisoned, and one at around 1000 GMT, to circularize the orbit at geostationary altitude. Briz-M reportedly separated from its payload at 1031 GMT. Ekran was expected to reach its 99 deg E final location on around April 24. As of 5 September 2001 located at 99.27 deg E drifting at 0.009 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 99.30E drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• 2001 May 15 01:11 - PAS 10 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 403-01 Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Launch delayed from April 4. PAS 10 (PanAmSat 10) was an American geosynchronous communications spacecraft. The 3.7 tonne (with fuel) satellite carried 48 transponders (24 in C-band and 24 in Ku-band) to provide direct-to-home video channels to Europe, Middle-East, and South Africa after parking over 68.5 deg-E longitude. PAS 10 replaced PAS 4. As of 5 September 2001 located at 68.50 deg E drifting at 0.001 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 68.45E drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• 2001 June 16 01:49 - Astra 2C Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 403-02 Apogee: 35,805 km (22,248 mi). Launch delayed from June 11. Astra 2C was a European (SES - Societe Europeene des Satellites, Luxembourg) geosynchronous communications Boeing 601HP spacecraft. The 3.7 tonne (including 1.2 tonne of fuel), 8 kW satellite was the fifth in the Astra series. It carried 32 Ku-band transponders to provide voice, video, and data links to Western Europe through a pair of 3 m diameter dishes, after parking over 28.2 deg-E longitude. As of 5 September 2001 located at 19.13 deg E drifting at 0.005 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 19.23E drifting at 0.024W degrees per day.

• 2001 August 24 20:35 - Cosmos 2379 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 404-01 Apogee: 35,810 km (22,250 mi). Launch delayed from August 23. Early-warning geosynchronous satellite. The Proton upper stage entered a geostationary transfer orbit after its first burn at 2152 GMT. A second burn was at 0310 GMT put the payload into its operational orbit. It was to provide early warning of missiles launched from the United States with the help of a heat-sensing array of detectors. According to the Moscow Kommersant newspaper, these early warning geosynchronous satellites belong to the US-KMO group, also known as Prognoz fleet, while the highly elliptical complement belongs to the US-KS group, also known as Oko fleet, both supplemented by about eight ground-based radars. As of 6 September 2001 located at 80.17 deg E drifting at 0.031 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 23.84W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• 2001 October 6 16:45 - Raduga-1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). The Blok-DM2 upper stage put the Russian geosynchronous military communications satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit at 1755 GMT. A second burn at 2318 GMT to circularized the orbit at geostationary altitude. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 106.48E drifting at 9.104W degrees per day.

• 2001 December 1 18:04 - Cosmos 2380 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 Apogee: 19,146 km (11,896 mi). Three navigation satellites of the GLONASS system were launched to replenish the constellation. This was the second end-of-year replenishment launch since 2000.

• 2002 March 30 17:25 - Intelsat 903 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M 406-01 Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Communications satellite. Moved from Proton M to Proton K booster. Launch delayed from November 26, 2001, and March 4, 2002. The three stage Proton booster put the DM3 upper stage and payload on a suborbital trajectory. The first DM3 burn reached a circular 160 km orbit at 1742 UTC. The second burn at 1838 UTC raised apogee to about 35800 km, and a third burn near apogee at 2339 UTC raised perigee to about 3500 km and lowered inclination to 25 deg. Blok DM3 separated from the Intelsat 903 payload at 0008 UTC on March 31. By April 5, Intelsat 903 was in a 31653 x 35817 km x 0.7 deg near-synchronous orbit. Intelsat 903 had a launch mass of 4726 kg and a dry mass around 2350 kg, and carried C and Ku band antennas. It was built by SS/Loral using a derivative of the FS-1300 platform. As of 2007 Mar 5 located at 34.50W drifting at 0.011W degrees per day.

• 2002 May 7 17:00 - DirecTV-5 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M DM3 Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Direct Broadcasting satellite. Launch delayed from October 2000, February, May 21 and October19, 2001, as the user and launch provider moved the payload from Proton to Atlas 2AS and then back again to Proton. The DM3 upper stage made two burns to put the DirecTV satellite in a 6568 x 35809 km x 17.7 deg transfer orbit. The Loral FS-1300 class satellite used its R-4D apogee engine to reach geostationary orbit at 129 W by May 19. The DirecTV satellite broadcasting company was a subsidiary of GM/Hughes. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 110.11W drifting at 0.004W degrees per day.

• 2002 July 25 15:13 - Cosmos 2392 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 17S40. Proton-K/17S40 Apogee: 1,774 km (1,102 mi). This was the second launch of the Arkon-1 electro-optical reconnaissance. The 17S40 Blok DM5 upper stage and satellite were placed by the Proton into a parking orbit. The DM then made two burns to place the satellite in its 1500 x 1836 km x 64.4 deg operational orbit.

• 2002 August 22 05:15 - Echostar 8 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Launch delayed from June 16 and 22, July 18, August 2 and 20 due to payload problems. Echostar 8 was an American geostationary communication spacecraft. The 4.7-ton satellite was to provide digital TV broadcast to North America through its 16 spot beams and 41 transponders in the Ku-band after parking over 110° W longitude. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 110.01W drifting at 0.003W degrees per day.

• 2002 November 25 23:04 - Astra 1K Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. The Block DM upper stage failed to ignite for its second burn, leaving the satellite in parking orbit.. Proton-K/DM-2M Apogee: 317 km (196 mi). Delayed from December 2001 and July 15, August 16 and 25. Astra 1K was to be a European (Luxembourg-based) geostationary communications spacecraft. The 5.0-ton, 13-kW spacecraft was the most massive of civilian communications spacecraft ever launched. Its 52 Ku-band and two Ka-band transponders could cover 1,100 channels and were to replace three earlier Astra satellites. However the DM-3 upper stage, after operating successfully to place itself and the satellite in parking orbit, failed to ignite for transfer orbit injection, leaving the spacecraft stranded in parking orbit. In an effort to prevent imminent re-entry, the spacecraft was raised to a circular orbit at an altitude of 290 km. Three options were considered: force re-entry over the Pacific Ocean; retrieval by a US shuttle; or use of all the fuel aboard the satellite to attempt to move it to a geostationary orbit at 19.2° E longitude. The decision was taken in December to deorbit the spacecraft, resulting in a huge insurance loss and bringing into question both continued use of the Block D series of upper stages and the 'bigger is better' comsat philosophy.

• 2002 December 25 10:37 - Cosmos 2394 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton-K/DM-2M Apogee: 19,136 km (11,890 mi). Three navigation satellites of the GLONASS system were launched to replenish the constellation. This was the third end-of-year replenishment launch since 2000.

• 2003 November 24 06:22 - Yamal-200 KA-1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861-01. Proton 8K82K 407-02 / 11S861-01 no.12L Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Two geosynchronous communications satellites launched for Gazprom. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 49.00E drifting at 0.012E degrees per day.

• 2003 December 10 17:42 - Cosmos 2402 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / Briz-M. Apogee: 19,314 km (12,001 mi). Three navigation satellites of the GLONASS system were launched to replenish the constellation. This was the fourth end-of-year replenishment launch since 2000.

• 2004 March 27 03:30 - Raduga-1 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton-K/DM-2 Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Military communications satellite. Parked in geostationary orbit at 85.0 deg E, after being placed in unusual subsynchronous drift orbit. Original name Cosmos 2406. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 85.19E drifting at 0.029W degrees per day.

• 2005 February 3 02:27 - AMC-12 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82M. Proton M/Breeze M Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Americom 12 satellite, also known as Worldsat 2. The first Alcatel Spacebus 4000 satellite to be launched.

• 2005 December 25 05:07 - Cosmos 2417 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S861. Proton K s/n 410-12 /11S861 s/n 106L Apogee: 19,130 km (11,880 mi). 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.

• 2007 October 26 07:35 - Cosmos 2431 Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K/11S861. Apogee: 19,130 km (11,880 mi). Three Uragan-M satellites were launched to replenish the Glonass navigation system.