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1937 - Launch Vehicle: Goddard. Model: Goddard L-B.

  • Flight of Goddard series L section B rocket Nation: USA. Apogee: 0.46 km (0.29 mi).

    Rocket was equipped with new parachute release operated by gyro; altitude 1500 ft; duration 20 sec; speed very high; landed 3000 ft from tower, softened ground for considerable distance.

1956 - Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 2, R-1, R-2, R-5, Soyuz.
  • Soviet Leadership tours Korolev's design bureau Nation: USSR.

    Khrushchev, Molotov, Bulganin, and other leaders are given a tour of Korolev’s OKB-1 in Kaliningrad. They are shown the R-1, R-2 and R-5 missiles as well as a mock-up of the R-7 and are awed. Ustinov reports that only five warheads would be needed to destroy Britain, and seven to nine for France. The need for the R-12 was discussed - the longer range was essential so that the missiles could be based farther from NATO’s borders (the experience of the German invasion and quick destruction of forward-based units and equipment was on everyone’s minds).

1957 - Launch Vehicle: Navaho.
  • Navaho - the beginning of the end. Nation: USA. Program: Navaho.

    With the Navaho stuck on the pad, and the Atlas ICBM nearing first flight, the Air Force began cutting back funds to the Navaho. Advertising for construction of G-38 production missile support facilities at the Cape was pulled, and the program was rescheduled to accommodate a 32% funding cutback in 1958, with construction limited to 16 G-26 missiles and the first G-38 flight delayed from June 1958 to February 1959.

1958 -
  • NACA estimated weights for manned reentry vehicle too low. Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Mercury, X-15A.

    Experience with the X-15 design indicated that many of the weight figures advanced by the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory for the drag or lift configurations of the reentry vehicle (later to become the Mercury spacecraft) were too low, according to Walter C. Williams, Chief of the NACA High-Speed Flight Station. Weights of auxiliary-power fuel, research instrumentation, and cockpit equipment as set by Langley were too low in terms of X-15 experience. Williams stated the total weight should be 2,300 pounds for the drag configuration and 2,500 pounds for the lifting configuration.

1958 - 19:59 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC6. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Redstone. Model: Redstone. LV Configuration: Redstone CC-43.
  • Nation: USA. Agency: USA. Apogee: 90 km (55 mi).

    Successfully fired at 1459 hours EST from the AMR. The flight was successful in that all missions were accomplished. Impact was 461 meters over end 64 meters to the left of the predicted impact point, a radial miss distance of 466 meters. Missed aimpoint by 245 m.

1959 - 15:44 GMT - Launch Site: Holloman. Launch Complex: A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee.
  • Solar extreme ultraviolet mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

1959 - 23:50 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC26B. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. LV Configuration: Jupiter IRBM CM-22.
  • Research and development test Nation: USA. Agency: USAF/ABMA. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

    Fired from AMR at 1850 hours EST. The primary mission of impacting the nose cone in a pre-calculated target (MILS Network) was successfully accomplished, The nose cone impacted in the 1,302 nm target area, 2.8 nm over, with no lateral deviations. Again, the vernier engine ran to cut-off rather than the commanded 14 seconds -- a near perfect flight. For the first rime, missile roll was controlled by a turbine exhaust nozzle designed to eliminate problems experienced on previous flights.

1960 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -.
  • Third Echo balloon test. Nation: USA.

    100-foot-diameter inflatable sphere successfully launched on third suborbital test to an altitude of 225 miles, from NASA Wallops Station, Va. Radio transmissions were reflected via the sphere from Holmdel, N.J., to Round Hill, Mass.

1960 - 06:53 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. Model: Aerobee Hi. LV Configuration: Aerobee Hi AA4.360C.
  • JHU Aurora 1 Aurora mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 117 km (72 mi).

1960 - 23:20 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Sergeant. Model: Shotput. LV Configuration: Shotput 3.
  • E60 Echo spacecraft test Nation: USA. Agency: NASA LaRC. Apogee: 400 km (240 mi).

1961 - 00:52 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC31. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: R-7. LV Configuration: R-7 L2-1.
  • Operational missile test Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,350 km (830 mi).

1962 - 19:39 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: SLC1W. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Model: Thor Agena B. LV Configuration: Thor Agena B 241 / Agena B 1123.
  • Discoverer 38 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-4 s/n 9031 / Agena B 1123. Mass: 1,150 kg (2,530 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Perigee: 207 km (128 mi). Apogee: 277 km (172 mi). Inclination: 82.20 deg. Period: 89.40 min. COSPAR: 1962-Epsilon-1. USAF Sat Cat: 247. Decay Date: 1962-03-21.

    First mission of the KH-4 series. Much of film slightly out of focus.. Capsule recovered 4.1 days later.

1963 - 19:30 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Apache. Model: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache NASA 14.86CI.
  • Eclipse inst test Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 151 km (93 mi).

1964 -
  • Apollo boilerplate (BP) 19 drop tested Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. Spacecraft: Apollo CSM.

    Boilerplate (BP) 19 was drop tested at El Centro, Calif., simulating flight conditions and recovery of BP-12. A second BP-19 drop, on April 8, removed all constraints on the BP-12 configuration and earth landing system. Another aim, to obtain information on vehicle dynamics, was not accomplished because of the early firing of a backup drogue parachute.

1964 - 02:30 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC67/21. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Tsiklon. Model: R-36 8K67. FAILURE: Failure.
  • State trials missile test Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1964 - 13:26 GMT - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Mayak-2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 2. Model: Kosmos 63S1.
  • Cosmos 25 Nation: USSR. Program: DS. Payload: DS-P1 s/n 4. Mass: 355 kg (782 lb). Class: Military. Type: Target. Spacecraft: DS-P1. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 260 km (160 mi). Apogee: 495 km (307 mi). Inclination: 49.10 deg. Period: 92.10 min. COSPAR: 1964-010A. USAF Sat Cat: 757. Completed Operations Date: 1964-11-21. Decay Date: 1964-11-21.

    Prototype ABM radar target; supported developmental experiments for ABM systems.

1965 -
  • State Commission on Cosmos 57 Nation: USSR. Program: Voskhod. Spacecraft: Voskhod. Flight: Voskhod 2.

    The final conclusion is as before, that simultaneous transmission of the air release command from IP-6 and IP-7 started the chain of events leading to the self-destruction of the spacecraft. It is decided that a Zenit planned for 4-8 March will fly with the Vykhod airlock ring, followed by the E-6 launch on 12 March, and the Voskhod-2 launch with a crew aboard for 15-20 March.

1965 - Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Brigitte. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Diamant. Model: Emeraude VE121.
  • Test mission Nation: France. Agency: CNES. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1965 - 11:11 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 576A1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Atlas. Model: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas D 211D.
  • ABRES LORV-4 re-entry vehicle test flight Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,800 km (1,100 mi).

1965 - 21:00 GMT - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Apache. Model: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache AE5.556.
  • Neutral / Ion / Sphere Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 157 km (97 mi).

1965 - 22:30 GMT - Launch Site: Eglin. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Apache. Model: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache AE5.486.
  • Neutral / Ion / Sphere Ionosphere mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 132 km (82 mi).

1966 - 16:51 GMT - Launch Site: Ascension. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Apache. Model: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache NASA 14.251UM.
  • UM Pitot 20 / AS-201 Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 155 km (96 mi).

1967 - 08:45 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Vostok 8A92. LV Configuration: Vostok 8A92 U15001-03.
  • Cosmos 143 Nation: USSR. Payload: Zenit-2 11F61 s/n 45. Mass: 4,720 kg (10,400 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-2. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 202 km (125 mi). Apogee: 390 km (240 mi). Inclination: 64.90 deg. Period: 90.50 min. COSPAR: 1967-017A. USAF Sat Cat: 2693. Duration: 8.00 days. Decay Date: 1967-03-07.

    Placed into orbit with 22.8 second period different from that planned. Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite. Also carried science package.

1968 -
  • Flight Readiness Review Board for Apollo CSM 020; LTA-2R and SLA-9 Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. Spacecraft: Apollo LM.

    The Flight Readiness Review Board for CSM 020, lunar module test article 2R (LTA-2R), and spacecraft-LM adapter 9 (SLA-9) met at KSC. - Additional details.

1968 -
  • Soviet on plan through 1975 for automated probes to the moon and planets. Nation: USSR. Spacecraft: DLB Lunar Base, Luna Ye-8, Luna Ye-8-5.

    Keldysh heads a Soviet on plans through 1975 for automated probes and space research of the moon and planets. Barmin attends, his interest being the relation of this work to his lunar base. Kamanin finds the plan not well thought out... Tereshkova sees Kamanin and tells him she cannot handle the stress of both political demands on her time and cosmonaut training. She wants Kamanin's assistance to get her out of political tasks.

1968 - 01:10 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Apache. Model: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache NASA 14.350CA.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 154 km (95 mi).

1968 - 01:30 GMT - Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USSR. Agency: AN SSSR. Apogee: 170 km (100 mi).

1969 - 02:05 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Apache. Model: Nike Apache. LV Configuration: Nike Apache NASA 14.321UE.
  • Magnetospheric mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 166 km (103 mi).

1970 -
  • HL-10 Flight 35 Nation: USA. Program: NASA Lifting Body. Payload: HL-10 flight 35. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: HL-10. Crew: Dana.

    Maximum altitude. Maximum Speed - 1400 kph. Maximum Altitude - 27524 m. Flight Time - 416 sec.

1970 -
  • DOS schedules, Soyuz Kontakt flights still in play Nation: USSR. Program: Soyuz, Salyut, Lunar L3, Almaz. Spacecraft: Soyuz Kontakt, Almaz OPS, Soyuz OB-VI, Soyuz VI. Flight: Soyuz 10, Soyuz 11, Soyuz n 17, Soyuz n 18, Soyuz n 19, Soyuz n 20.

    A meeting is held on the DOS project. The Central Committee and Soviet Ministers have directed that two DOS space stations be completed by the end of 1970. TsNIIMASH thinks this is impossible - the task can be accomplished in no less than 18 to 24 months. Mishin insists it can be done in ten months, as directed. Kamanin believes he won't even have it ready by the second half of 1971. It took five to seven years to just bring the Almaz, Soyuz VI, and L1 to flight status. This DOS will stop work on all other projects. Mishin still wants to fly two Soyuz spacecraft to test Bogomolov's Kontakt docking system for the L3.

1970 - 00:00 GMT - Launch Site: El Arenosillo. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Skua. Model: Skua 2. LV Configuration: Skua 2 SM-7022.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: UK. Agency: INTA. Apogee: 103 km (64 mi).

1970 - 17:24 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC133/1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 2. Model: Kosmos 11K63.
  • Cosmos 324 Nation: USSR. Program: DS. Payload: DS-P1-Yu s/n 32. Mass: 325 kg (716 lb). Class: Military. Type: Target. Spacecraft: DS-P1-Yu. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 274 km (170 mi). Apogee: 465 km (288 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 91.90 min. COSPAR: 1970-014A. USAF Sat Cat: 4338. Completed Operations Date: 1970-05-23. Decay Date: 1970-05-23.

    Development of systems for air defence and the control of outer space.

1970 - 20:55 GMT - Launch Site: El Arenosillo. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Skua. Model: Skua 2. LV Configuration: Skua 2 SM-7029.
  • Ionosphere mission Nation: UK. Agency: INTA. Apogee: 104 km (64 mi).

1971 -
  • Mishin plans to get Almaz cancelled. Nation: USSR. Program: Almaz, Salyut. Spacecraft: Salyut 1, Almaz OPS, Spiral OS.

    Kamanin has a meeting scheduled with Chelomei, but this is cancelled and he is called to another meeting with Mishin -- all to advance Mishin's agenda. Mishin complains that he doesn't know what the Almaz project is about. He claims Chelomei has spent half a billion roubles so far, and has nothing to show for it. Mishin, on the other hand, has two DOS stations ready to fly, done at a cost of only 80 million roubles. But Kamanin knows very well who has really wasted hundreds of millions of roubles - Mishin. Mishin produces his plans for DOS#3 and DOS#4 follow-on stations. These are to be copies of Almaz, delivered in 18 months. Mishin says he is building ten 7K-S for the spacecraft, despite the fact that Karas at GUKOS is not interested in manned spaceflight. Afterwards Kamanin tells Kutakhov to warn Chelomei that he must support the VVS' 7K-S and Spiral projects, if he wants VVS support for Almaz.

1971 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: LF04. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 2.
  • OT GT80M operational test launch Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,300 km (800 mi).

1974 - 11:05 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC133/1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 2. Model: Kosmos 11K63.
  • Cosmos 633 Nation: USSR. Program: DS. Payload: DS-P1-Yu s/n 71. Mass: 400 kg (880 lb). Class: Military. Type: Target. Spacecraft: DS-P1-Yu. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 271 km (168 mi). Apogee: 491 km (305 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 92.20 min. COSPAR: 1974-010A. USAF Sat Cat: 7187. Completed Operations Date: 1974-10-04. Decay Date: 1974-10-04.

    Development of systems for air defence and the control of outer space.

1975 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC142/34. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Tsiklon. Model: R-36 8K67MA.
  • State trials missile test Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1976 -
  • Military space plan through 1990 approved. Nation: USSR.

    Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 'On long-range military use of space up to 1990' was issued.

1976 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: LF03. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1. Model: Minuteman 1B.
  • ABRES ANT-1 re-entry vehicle test flight Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSC. Apogee: 1,300 km (800 mi).

1978 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC177. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: MR-UR-100. Model: MR-UR-100.
  • Operational missile test Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1978 - 05:30 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Model: Black Brant 4B. LV Configuration: Black Brant IVB AAF-4B-35.
  • Aurora / ionosphere mission Aurora / ionosphere mission Nation: Canada. Agency: NRCC. Apogee: 785 km (487 mi).

1978 - 05:43 GMT - Launch Site: Poker Flat. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Tomahawk Sandia. Model: Nike Tomahawk. LV Configuration: Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.1017UE.
  • Plasma mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 270 km (160 mi).

1979 - 15:00 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC43/3. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Soyuz 11A511U.
  • Cosmos 1079 Nation: USSR. Payload: Yantar-2K s/n 15. Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Yantar-2K. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 174 km (108 mi). Apogee: 337 km (209 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 89.60 min. COSPAR: 1979-019A. USAF Sat Cat: 11283. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1979-03-11.

    Area survey photo reconnaissance. Spacecraft depressurization led to malfunction of spacecraft. Deorbited after 12 days.

1979 - 17:00 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132/2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Model: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M 47155-107.
  • Intercosmos 19 Nation: USSR. Program: Intercosmos. Payload: AUOS-Z-I-IK. Mass: 1,015 kg (2,237 lb). Class: Technology. Spacecraft: AUOS. Manufacturer: NPO Yuzhnoye. Agency: IK. Perigee: 452 km (280 mi). Apogee: 711 km (441 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 96.30 min. COSPAR: 1979-020A. USAF Sat Cat: 11285. Completed Operations Date: 1982-04-27. Decay Date: 2002-09-23.

    Comprehensive investigations of the structure of the earth's ionosphere, the characteristics of wave processes and the propagation of radio waves in the ionospheric plasma. Launched under the Intercosmos programme by the USSR in cooperation with the Peopl e's Republic of Bulgaria, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the Hungarian People's Republic and the Polish People's Republic. - Additional details.

1980 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: LF08. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 3.
  • FOT GT73GM Follow-on Test launch Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,300 km (800 mi).

1983 - 16:33 GMT - Launch Site: Punta Lobos. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Hawk. Model: Nike Orion. LV Configuration: Nike Orion NASA 31.28UE.
  • Project Condor Plasma mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 140 km (80 mi).

1984 - 16:00 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Hawk. Model: Nike Orion. LV Configuration: Nike Orion NASA 31.43UU.
  • CWAS 8 Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 73 km (45 mi).

1985 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: RT-23. Model: RT-23U 15Zh61. LV Configuration: RT-23U 15Zh61 15Zh61.
  • rail Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1985 - 11:10 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Pad: LC1 or LC31. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Soyuz 11A511U.
  • Cosmos 1630 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Yantar-4K1. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 173 km (107 mi). Apogee: 332 km (206 mi). Inclination: 64.90 deg. Period: 89.60 min. COSPAR: 1985-017A. USAF Sat Cat: 15582. Duration: 55.00 days. Decay Date: 1985-04-23.

    High resolution photo reconnaissance; returned film in two small SpK capsules during the mission and with the main capsule at completion of the mission.

1985 - 12:56 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132/1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Model: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M 47134-139.
  • Cosmos 1631 Nation: USSR. Class: Calibration. Spacecraft: Taifun-1. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 349 km (216 mi). Apogee: 376 km (233 mi). Inclination: 65.80 deg. Period: 91.80 min. COSPAR: 1985-018A. USAF Sat Cat: 15584. Decay Date: 1990-12-08.

    Radar calibration mission.

1986 - 01:44 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC90/19. Launch Pad: LC90/pad?. Launch Vehicle: Tsiklon. Model: Tsiklon-2.
  • Cosmos 1735 Nation: USSR. Program: EORSAT. Mass: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb). Class: Sigint. Type: Naval reconnaisance. Spacecraft: US-P. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 419 km (260 mi). Apogee: 442 km (274 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 93.20 min. COSPAR: 1986-021A. USAF Sat Cat: 16620. Decay Date: 1988-11-17.

    Ocean surveillance.

1988 - 15:27 GMT - Launch Site: ETR Launch Area. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Trident. Model: Trident C-4.
  • Demonstration and shakedown operations launch Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

1990 - 20:59 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132/2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Model: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M 53711-228.
  • Nadezhda 2 Nation: USSR. Payload: Tsikada-Kospas. Mass: 825 kg (1,818 lb). Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: Nadezhda. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 953 km (592 mi). Apogee: 1,018 km (632 mi). Inclination: 83.00 deg. Period: 104.80 min. COSPAR: 1990-017A. USAF Sat Cat: 20508.

    Civilian navigation satellite. Positioned in plane 14 of constellation. Maritime navigation. Signals at 150,00 MHz and 400.00 MHz. Carried COSPAR/SARSAT search and rescue package. Location of vessels in the Soviet merchant marine and fishing fleet; work within the international space search and rescue system for locating vessels and aircraft in distress (COSPAS-SARSAT).

1998 - 22:38 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: ELA2. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Ariane. Model: Ariane 42P. LV Configuration: Ariane 42P-3 V106.
  • Hot Bird 4 Nation: Europe. Program: Eutelsat. Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Eurostar 2000. Manufacturer: Matra Marconi Space-France, Toulouse. Agency: Eutelsat. Perigee: 35,773 km (22,228 mi). Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min. COSPAR: 1998-013A. USAF Sat Cat: 25237.

    Geostationary at 13.0 degrees E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 13 deg E in 1998-1999 As of 2 June 2001 located at 14.35 deg E drifting at 0.065 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 7.18W drifting at 0.004W degrees per day.

2001 - 21:20 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC40. Launch Pad: SLC40. Launch Vehicle: Titan. Model: Titan 401B/Centaur. LV Configuration: Titan 401B/Centaur 4B-41/TC-22 (K-30).
  • USA 157 Nation: USA. Payload: Milstar-2 DFS 4. Mass: 4,670 kg (10,290 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Milstar. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space. Agency: USAF. Perigee: 35,764 km (22,222 mi). Apogee: 35,768 km (22,225 mi). Inclination: 4.50 deg. Period: 1,435.05 min. COSPAR: 2001-009A. USAF Sat Cat: 26715.

    Military Communications satellite. Launch delayed from October 30, December 14, 2000, and February 2 and February 24, 2001. The Milstar DFS 4 satellite (the second Milstar Block 2) provided secure communications for the US Department of Defense, with UHF, EHF and SHF band transmitters. Titan 4B-41 with core stage K-30 took off from Cape Canaveral and placed Milstar and the Centaur TC-22 upper stage in a suborbital trajectory. TC-22 then ignited to enter a 200 km parking orbit, and after two more burns delivered Milstar to geosynchronous drift orbit. Small engines on board the Milstar placed it at its targeted geostationary position. USA 157, a 4.5 tonne spacecraft, was the first in the Milstar 2 series which was capable of higher data rates and was more secure against disabling efforts.

2004 - 21:17 GMT -
  • EVA ISS EO-8-1 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Foale, Kaleri. Flight: ISS EO-8. EVA Duration: 0.16 days.

    The astronauts retrieved and replaced and replaced science instruments on the ISS Pirs and Zvezda modules. These included sample materials that had been exposed to space for two years and a radiation phantom that measured doses a human would have received. The spacewalk, planned for 5 hours 45 minutes duration, was cut short when the cooling circuit in Kaleri's suit malfunctioned and he reported seeing drops of water on his helmet visor. This was the first time NASA had dared to send the entire crew of the station out on an EVA in the ISS program (though common Russian practice during their Mir project).

2006 -
  • Cassini, Titan Flyby Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Cassini.


Born on this day in:
  • 1954 - Robert Buck Crombie.  American Manned Spaceflight Engineer Astronaut. Birth City: Joliet. Birth State: Illinois. Birth Country: USA.

Died on this day in:
  • 1994 - Laurence C Craigie.  American Manager. Cause of Death: Riverside, CA, SSN 230-48-7601.

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