February 23

See also Born on this Day
On this day in:

1936 - Launch Vehicle: ARS.

  • US rocket mail test. Nation: USA. Apogee: 0.20 km (0.12 mi).

    F. W. Kessler, W. Ley, and N. Carver launched two mail-carrying "rocket airplanes" at Greenwood Lake, N.Y., which traveled about 1,000 feet.

1960 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Blandine. Launch Vehicle: Veronique. LV Configuration: Veronique AGI23. FAILURE: Failure.
  • Veronique Aeronomy mission Nation: France. Agency: FR.

    Scientific mission.

1962 -
  • Dyna-Soar limited to an orbital research system. Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Dynasoar.

    Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara, officially limited the objective of the Dyna-Soar program to the development of an orbital, research system. Now it is only a research and development program to demonstrate re-entry and landing of a spaceplane.

1962 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 395. Launch Pad: 395-A1. Launch Vehicle: Titan 1. Model: Titan I. LV Configuration: Titan I SM-18. FAILURE: Failure.
  • Titan 1 Research and development Category II Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC?. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

1965 - 14:36 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC17. Launch Pad: LC17B. Launch Vehicle: Thor DSV-2G. LV Configuration: Thor DSV-2G 248.
  • Thor DSV-2G ASSET 6 re-entry vehicle test flight Nation: USA. Payload: ASSET 6. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: Asset. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 70 km (43 mi).

    Suborbital test of small scale spaceplane model to test materials for the X-20 Dynasoar. Reached 6,000 m/s and 4,350 km range. Tested twelve different kinds of refractory metals and covered with 2000 dots of heat-sensitive paint to characterize thermal profile on reentry. Telemetry indicated that the spacecraft survived reentry, but it evidently sank upon impacting the ocean and could not be recovered as planned.

1965 - 17:15 GMT - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Vehicle: Nike Javelin. Model: Nike Javelin 3. LV Configuration: Nike Javelin 3 Sphere 14.
  • Nike Javelin Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1966 - 10:06 GMT - Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: LA2. Launch Vehicle: HAD. LV Configuration: HAD HAD 186.
  • HAD Aeronomy mission Nation: Australia. Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

1966 - 23:14 GMT - Launch Site: Andoya. Launch Vehicle: Centaure. LV Configuration: Centaure CE-14.
  • Centaure ESRO C14/2 Auroral mission Nation: Europe. Agency: ESRO. Apogee: 117 km (72 mi).

1967 - Launch Site: Green River. Launch Complex: Pad 3. Launch Vehicle: Athena. LV Configuration: Athena D037.
  • Athena USN D037 re-entry vehicle test flight Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1968 - 03:45 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache NASA 14.276GE.
  • Nike Apache Plasma mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1968 - 05:10 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk. LV Configuration: Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.35UE.
  • Nike Tomahawk Plasma mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 293 km (182 mi).

1968 - 06:53 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk. LV Configuration: Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.67UA.
  • Nike Tomahawk Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 270 km (160 mi).

1970 - 13:20 GMT - Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12. LV Configuration: MR-12 MR-12.
  • MR-12 Aeronomy mission Nation: USSR. Apogee: 163 km (101 mi).

1970 - 16:50 GMT - Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Complex: C. Launch Vehicle: Centaure. LV Configuration: Centaure C37/1.
  • Centaure ESRO C37/1 Ionosphere Barium release mission Nation: Europe. Agency: ESRO. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

1971 - Launch Site: Biscarosse. Launch Vehicle: Tibere.
  • Tibere ELECTRE Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Nation: France. Agency: ONERA. Apogee: 130 km (80 mi).

1971 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: LF06. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1. Model: Minuteman 1B.
  • Minuteman 1 SSTTP M1-28 Target mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 1,300 km (800 mi).

1972 - Launch Vehicle: N1F.
  • MOK technical proposal authorised. Nation: USSR. Spacecraft: MKBS.

    Decree 'On work on the technical proposal for the creation of the MOK' was issued.

1972 - 10:06 GMT - Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: LA2. Launch Vehicle: Cockatoo. LV Configuration: Cockatoo 1024.
  • Cockatoo Aeronomy mission Nation: Australia. Agency: WRE. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

1973 - 09:38 GMT - Launch Site: Kagoshima. Launch Vehicle: Kappa 9. Model: Kappa 9M. LV Configuration: Kappa 9M K-9M-42.
  • Kappa 9 Cesium Release Ionosphere mission Nation: Japan. Agency: ISAS. Apogee: 306 km (190 mi).

1973 - 13:48 GMT - Launch Site: South Uist. Launch Vehicle: Petrel. LV Configuration: Petrel P113H.
  • Petrel Ionosphere mission Nation: UK. Agency: SRC. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi).

1977 - 08:50 GMT - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: N. Launch Pad: N. Launch Vehicle: N. Model: N-1. LV Configuration: N-1 N-3(F).
  • Kiku 2 Nation: Japan. Payload: ETS 2. Mass: 130 kg (280 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: ETS. Agency: NASDA. Perigee: 35,854 km (22,278 mi). Apogee: 35,860 km (22,280 mi). Inclination: 11.90 deg. Period: 1,439.70 min. COSPAR: 1977-014A. USAF Sat Cat: 9852. Completed Operations Date: 1990-12-01.

    Engineering test satellite. Engineering Test Satellite Type II (ETS II), Kiku 2. Launch by N launch vehicle no 3. Geographical longitude of the geostationary orbit: 130 deg E. Preliminary experiments to acquire technologies to launch,track, and control geostationary satellites. P ropagation experiment of millimetre and quasi-millimetre waves. Characteristics: Weight at launch 245 kg. Configuration: cylindrical. Height 191 cm including antenna. Diameter 141 cm. Attitude control: spin stabilization. Expected life at least 6 months. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific Ocean at 130 deg E in 1977-1990 As of 5 September 2001 located at 16.93 deg E drifting at 0.930 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 85.65W drifting at 0.986W degrees per day.

1977 - 13:20 GMT - Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: LA8. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 200. Model: Aerobee 200A. LV Configuration: Aerobee 200A NASA 26.53DH.
  • Aerobee 200 X-ray Astronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 184 km (114 mi).

1979 - 14:07 GMT - Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12. LV Configuration: MR-12 MR-12.
  • MR-12 Aeronomy/Ionosphere/Chemical release/Plasma mission Nation: USSR. Apogee: 175 km (108 mi).

1980 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: LF04. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 2.
  • Minuteman 2 FOT GT140M Follow-on Test launch Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,300 km (800 mi).

1980 - 10:05 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Model: Black Brant VA. LV Configuration: Black Brant VA ADD-VA-52.
  • Black Brant Auroral mission Nation: Canada. Agency: NRCC. Apogee: 148 km (91 mi).

    Launched from Southend, Saskatchewan, Canada - Latitude: 56.26 N - Longitude: 103.36 W.

1983 - 09:38 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Super Loki. LV Configuration: Super Loki T 1-0488.
  • Super Loki Test/Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Apogee: 102 km (63 mi).

1984 - 12:10 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Nike Orion. LV Configuration: Nike Orion NASA 31.38GE.
  • Nike Orion Plasma mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi).

1984 - 20:34 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Model: Black Brant VB. LV Configuration: Black Brant VB NASA 21.86UE.
  • Black Brant Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 189 km (117 mi).

1988 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Jubilee. 1990 - 07:31 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Model: Black Brant 10CM1. LV Configuration: Black Brant 10CM1 NASA 35.20UE.
  • Black Brant Plasma mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 586 km (364 mi).

1991 - 01:59 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Al Hussein.
  • Al Hussein Combat launch - target: Dhahran Nation: Iraq. Agency: IRAQ. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

    Launched from Mobile launchers in Iraq, SE of Basra - Latitude: 30.50 N - Longitude: 48.00 E.

1991 - 01:59 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Al Hussein.
  • Al Hussein Combat launch - target: Dhahran Nation: Iraq. Agency: IRAQ. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

    Launched from Mobile launchers in Iraq, SE of Basra - Latitude: 30.50 N - Longitude: 48.00 E.

1992 - 22:29 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC17. Launch Pad: LC17B. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7000. Model: Delta 7925. LV Configuration: Delta 7925 D207.
  • USA 79 Nation: USA. Program: Navstar. Payload: GPS 2A-12 / GPS SVN 25. Mass: 1,816 kg (4,003 lb). Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2 and 2A. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 20,032 km (12,447 mi). Apogee: 20,332 km (12,633 mi). Inclination: 54.20 deg. Period: 718.00 min. COSPAR: 1992-009A. USAF Sat Cat: 21890.

    Global Positioning System. Placed in Plane A Slot 2.

1996 - 19:17 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC36. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Model: Black Brant IX. LV Configuration: Black Brant IX NASA 36.143UE.
  • Black Brant Technology mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA GSFC. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1996 - 19:44 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: LC36. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Model: Black Brant IX. LV Configuration: Black Brant IX NASA 36.145NP.
  • Black Brant Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA GSFC. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

1997 - Launch Site: Balasore. Launch Vehicle: Prithvi. LV Configuration: Prithvi 2-3.
  • Prithvi Test mission Nation: India. Agency: IDRDL. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

1997 - 10:06 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: LCLV Sounding Rocket. LV Configuration: LCLV MSX CEP 2.
  • LCLV Sounding Rocket MDT III Target mission Nation: USA. Agency: OSC. Apogee: 400 km (240 mi).

1997 - 20:20 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC40. Launch Pad: LC40. Launch Vehicle: Titan 4B. Model: Titan 402B/IUS. LV Configuration: Titan 402B B-24 /IUS (K-24, 45D-4).
  • USA 130 Nation: USA. Payload: DSP-1 Block 18 F18. Mass: 2,380 kg (5,240 lb). Class: Early Warning. Spacecraft: DSP. Manufacturer: TRW, Redondo Beach. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. COSPAR: 1997-008A. USAF Sat Cat: 24737.

    DSP-1 Block 14 ballistic missile launch detection satellite. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 70 deg E in 1999. Still in service as of March 2007.

1999 - 10:29 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC2. Launch Pad: SLC2W. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7000. Model: Delta 7920-10. LV Configuration: Delta 7920-10 D267.
  • ARGOS Nation: USA. Payload: P91-1. Class: Technology. Type: Ion engine. Spacecraft: ARGOS. Manufacturer: Boeing, Seal Beach. Agency: USAF SMC. Perigee: 825 km (512 mi). Apogee: 839 km (521 mi). Inclination: 98.80 deg. COSPAR: 1999-008A. USAF Sat Cat: 25634.

    ARGOS was a USAF Space Test Program P91-1 technology satellite, equipped with an ion engine, ionosphere, x-ray, and dust detectors. Much delayed, it finally was placed into orbit on the eleventh (!) launch attempt.

  • Orsted Nation: Denmark. Mass: 62 kg (136 lb). Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere. Spacecraft: Orsted. Manufacturer: CRI, Kobenhaven. Agency: DMI. Perigee: 644 km (400 mi). Apogee: 863 km (536 mi). Inclination: 96.50 deg. COSPAR: 1999-008B. USAF Sat Cat: 25635.

    Denmark's Orsted gravity gradient stabilised satellite was to map the Earth's magnetic field. It was managed and operated by the Danish Meteorological Institute in Copenhagen. The satellite's prime contractor was CRI , Copenhagen.

  • Sunsat Nation: South Africa. Class: Technology. Spacecraft: Sunsat. Manufacturer: Stellenbosch University, Cape Town. Agency: Stellenb. Perigee: 644 km (400 mi). Apogee: 865 km (537 mi). Inclination: 96.50 deg. COSPAR: 1999-008C. USAF Sat Cat: 25636.

    Sunsat was built by students at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and carried a small imager and a message relay payload.

2002 - 06:59 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA2. Launch Pad: ELA2. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L. Model: Ariane 44L. LV Configuration: Ariane 44L V148.
  • Intelsat 904 Nation: International. Program: Intelsat. Mass: 4,680 kg (10,310 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: FS-1300. Manufacturer: Space Systems/Loral. Agency: Intelsat. Perigee: 35,772 km (22,227 mi). Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2002-007A. USAF Sat Cat: 27380.

    Communications satellite. Launch delayed from February 14 and 20. The Ariane 44L placed the Loral FS-1300HL-class Intelsat 904 satellite in a 176 x 35812 km x 7.0 deg geostationary transfer orbit. The spacecraft was to be used for Indian Ocean region communications. Intelsat 904 had a dry mass of 2350 kg and carried 2330 kg of fuel. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 59.96E drifting at 0.000E degrees per day.

2006 - 16:09 GMT - Launch Site: Kodiak. Launch Vehicle: STARS. LV Configuration: Polaris/STARS s/n M-7 FT04-1.
  • BMD Radar Test Nation: USA. Manufacturer: Sandia. Agency: USA SMDC. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

    Target


Born on this day in:
  • 1950 - Jerry Jerome Rij.  American Manned Spaceflight Engineer Astronaut. Birth City: Elizabeth. Birth State: New Jersey. Birth Country: USA.
  • 1959 - Clayton Conrad Anderson.  American Mission Specialist Astronaut. Birth City: Omaha. Birth State: Nebraska. Birth Country: USA.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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