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1948 -

  • XS-1 Flight 63 Nation: USA. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 25. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Crew: Lilly.

    NACA flight 5. Pilot familiarization.

1959 -
  • McDonnell selected to produce the Mercury spacecraft. Nation: USA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury.

    The Source Selection Board at NASA Headquarters composed of Abe Silverstein, Ralph Cushman, George Low, Walter Schier, DeMarquis Wyatt, and Charles Zimmerman, completed their findings and reported to Dr. T. Keith Glennan, the Administrator. McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was selected as the prime contractor to develop and produce the Mercury spacecraft.

1963 -
  • Agreement reached on future Vostok flights Nation: USSR. Flight: Vostok 5, Vostok 6, Vostok 6A, Vostok 7, Vostok 8, Vostok 9, Vostok 10.

    After eight months of debate, a Vostok project plan was finally agreed. There would be a single female cosmonaut flight in March-Apriil 1963. This would be followed by 4 to 5 additional Vostok flights in 1963 and 2 to 3 flights in 1964. This plan was approved by Malinovskiy, Keldysh, Smirnov, and Dementiev and forwarded to the Communist Party Central Committee. However Rudenko and others were still opposed.

1964 - Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 2, Kosmos 3.
  • R-12U and R-14U accepted into military service. Nation: USSR.

    Decree 'On adoption of the R-12U and R-14U shaft versions into armaments' was issued.

1965 -
  • Cosmonaut recruitment Nation: USSR. Program: Voskhod. Spacecraft: Voskhod. Flight: Voskhod 5.

    Kamanin would like to get going with the training of 40 additional cosmonauts from many disciplines in order to 'storm space'. Korolev is opposed. Kamanin is also trying to get new flights scheduled for his female cosmonauts. This is never mentioned in the planning of future flights. Korolev is opposed to sending any further women into space. Kamanin would like to see a two-woman Voskhod flight, or a woman making a spacewalk. Aside from Tereshkova, Ponomaryova and Solovyova are as qualified and talented as any of the male cosmonauts for such flights. Yerkina and Kuznetsova, although they have completed the course, are ruled out by weaknesses in technical areas or character, in Kamanin's opinion.

1968 - Launch Vehicle: Saturn I, Saturn V.
  • Budgetary restraints required additional cuts in AAP to three Saturn IB and three Saturn V launches. Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Orbital Workshop, Skylab, AES Lunar Base, ALSS Lunar Base.

    NASA budgetary restraints required an additional cut in AAP launches. The reduced program called for three Saturn IB and three Saturn V launches, including one Workshop launched on a Saturn IB, one Saturn V Workshop, and one ATM. Two lunar missions were planned. Launch of the first Workshop would be in April 1970.

1969 - Launch Vehicle: N1.
  • State Commission for the first N1 launch Nation: USSR. Program: Lunar L3, Lunar L1. Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-L1A.

    The State Commission for the first N1 launch, headed by Afanasyev, convenes at Area 12 of Baikonur. All of the Chief Designers and top generals of the VVS are in attendance. Many defects are identified in the review, but there seem to be no show-stoppers. Payload integration with the booster is to begin 13 January and launch by 18 February. Then Baikonur commander General Kurushin drops a bombshell - he declares he is not prepared to attempt to launch this 'unready' rocket. Much argument and discussion ensues. Finally Afanasyev asks that the issues raised be reviewed, in preparation for the next commission meeting on 11 January.

1969 - Launch Site: Kagoshima. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: S. Model: S-300 ISAS. LV Configuration: S-300-1. FAILURE: Failure.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: Japan. Agency: ISAS. Apogee: 0 km ( mi).

1969 - 07:40 GMT - Launch Site: Kagoshima. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kappa. Model: Kappa 8. LV Configuration: Kappa 8 K-8-15.
  • E field antenna Ionosphere / fields mission Nation: Japan. Agency: ISAS. Apogee: 188 km (116 mi).

1970 - 09:20 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Pad: LC1 or LC31. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Voskhod 11A57.
  • Cosmos 318 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-2M. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 206 km (128 mi). Apogee: 379 km (235 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 90.30 min. COSPAR: 1970-001A. USAF Sat Cat: 4292. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1970-01-21.

    Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule.

1971 -
  • VVS Reviews TsKBM Facilities and Programs Nation: USSR. Program: Almaz, Salyut. Spacecraft: Salyut 1, Almaz OPS.

    The VVS leadership visits Chelomei's facility at Reutov. Kamanin recalls first seeting the Almaz mock-up five years earlier - it was already fully defined then. But it was only in August 1970 that a resolution was issued setting a firm schedule: Chelomei was to start flight trails in the second half of 1971, and the station was to enter service in 1972. Mishin is proposing to cancel Almaz and build 10 DOS stations instead. Mishin currently supervises five design bureaux, 60,000 workers, and is working on Soyuz, 7K-S, L3, DOS-7K, and a very few other projects. Chelomei has only one design bureau and 8,000 workers. Yet he has produced well-designed, mass-produced cruise missiles for the Navy, over 1,000 ICBM's for the RVSN, and the high-quality UR-500 Proton launch vehicle. Almaz could have flown on time if Ustinov had allowed Chelomei just 10% of the resources he has let Mishin squander on DOS. Chelomei easily agrees with the VVS to a mutual schedule for Almaz crew training, crew composition, etc. The contrast with the argumentative Mishin couldn't be greater.

1971 -
  • Shatalov comes to leadership attention after good work on Pompidou visit. Nation: USSR.

    The leadership wants to appoint Shatalov as a space adviser to the General Staff. Kamanin wants him as Deputy Commander of TsPK.

1975 - Launch Site: Kwajalein. Launch Complex: RN. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Sergeant. Model: Castor. LV Configuration: Castor-2R.
  • Re-entry Vehicle test Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1976 - Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Pioner.
  • Test mission Nation: USSR. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).

1978 - 20:00 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Astrobee. Model: Astrobee F. LV Configuration: Astrobee F NASA 25.29GA.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 262 km (162 mi).

1979 - 11:53 GMT - Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Astrobee. Model: Astrobee F. LV Configuration: Astrobee F NASA 25.32UL.
  • Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 214 km (132 mi).

1980 - 12:15 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Soyuz 11A511U.
  • Cosmos 1149 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Zenit-6U. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 191 km (118 mi). Apogee: 384 km (238 mi). Inclination: 72.90 deg. Period: 90.30 min. COSPAR: 1980-001A. USAF Sat Cat: 11652. Duration: 14.00 days. Decay Date: 1980-01-23.

    Photo surveillance; returned film capsule.

1981 - 14:57 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC41/1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Molniya 8K78M.
  • Molniya 3-14 Nation: USSR. Program: Molniya. Payload: Molniya-3 s/n 25. Mass: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Molniya-3. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 487 km (302 mi). Apogee: 39,863 km (24,769 mi). Inclination: 63.60 deg. Period: 717.70 min. COSPAR: 1981-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 12133. Decay Date: 1999-07-03.

    Replaced Molniya 3-10. Continued operation of the long-range telephone and telegraph radio-communication system within the Soviet Union and transmission of USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita and participating international networks (international cooperation scheme).

1985 - 10:45 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Pad: LC1 or LC31. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Soyuz 11A511U.
  • Cosmos 1616 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Yantar-4K1. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 171 km (106 mi). Apogee: 356 km (221 mi). Inclination: 64.90 deg. Period: 89.80 min. COSPAR: 1985-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 15467. Duration: 54.00 days. Decay Date: 1985-03-04.

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

1986 -
  • Stephen Synnott's Discovery of Uranus Moon Cressida Nation: USA.

1986 - 02:48 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132/2. Launch Pad: LC132/2?. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Model: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M 47122-337.
  • Cosmos 1716 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 289. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,463 km (909 mi). Apogee: 1,492 km (927 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.50 min. COSPAR: 1986-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 16449.

    Eight satellites launched by a single carrier rocket.

  • Cosmos 1717 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 290. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,475 km (916 mi). Apogee: 1,513 km (940 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.90 min. COSPAR: 1986-002B. USAF Sat Cat: 16450.

  • Cosmos 1718 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 291. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,475 km (916 mi). Apogee: 1,496 km (929 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.70 min. COSPAR: 1986-002C. USAF Sat Cat: 16451.

  • Cosmos 1719 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 292. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,454 km (903 mi). Apogee: 1,485 km (922 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.30 min. COSPAR: 1986-002D. USAF Sat Cat: 16452.

  • Cosmos 1720 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 293. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,440 km (890 mi). Apogee: 1,484 km (922 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.20 min. COSPAR: 1986-002E. USAF Sat Cat: 16453.

  • Cosmos 1721 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 294. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,427 km (886 mi). Apogee: 1,483 km (921 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.00 min. COSPAR: 1986-002F. USAF Sat Cat: 16454.

  • Cosmos 1722 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 295. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,413 km (877 mi). Apogee: 1,484 km (922 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.80 min. COSPAR: 1986-002G. USAF Sat Cat: 16455.

  • Cosmos 1723 Nation: USSR. Program: Strela. Payload: Strela-1M no. 296. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Class: Communications. Type: Military Store-dump. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. Agency: MO SSSR. Perigee: 1,400 km (800 mi). Apogee: 1,482 km (920 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.70 min. COSPAR: 1986-002H. USAF Sat Cat: 16456.

1987 - 12:38 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Pad: LC1 or LC31. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Soyuz 11A511U.
  • Cosmos 1811 Nation: USSR. Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: Yantar-4K1. Agency: MOM. Perigee: 169 km (105 mi). Apogee: 345 km (214 mi). Inclination: 64.90 deg. Period: 89.70 min. COSPAR: 1987-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 17292. Duration: 35.00 days. Decay Date: 1987-02-13.

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

1990 - 12:35 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: LC39A. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. LV Configuration: Space Shuttle STS-32R.
  • STS-32 Nation: USA. Program: STS. Payload: Columbia F09 / Syncom-4 5 [Orbus-7S]. Mass: 12,014 kg (26,486 lb). Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: Columbia. Agency: NASA JSC. Perigee: 296 km (183 mi). Apogee: 361 km (224 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 91.10 min. COSPAR: 1990-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 20409. Duration: 10.88 days. Decay Date: 1990-01-20. Crew: Brandenstein, Dunbar, Ivins, Low, Wetherbee. Flight: STS-32.

    Manned five crew. Deployed Leasat 5, retrieved LDEF. Night landing. Payloads: Deployment of Syncom IV-5, retrieval of Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA)-3, Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) III-2, Latitude/Longitude Locator (L3), American Flight Echocardiograph (AFE), Characterization of Neurospora Circadian Rhythms in Space (CNCR)-01, Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS)-4, Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE), IMAX, Interim Operational Contamination Monitor (lOCM).

  • Leasat 5 Nation: USA. Program: Leasat. Payload: Columbia F9 / Syncom-4 5 [Orbus-7S]. Mass: 3,400 kg (7,400 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: HS 601. Agency: HCI. Perigee: 35,776 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Inclination: 4.40 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 1990-002B. USAF Sat Cat: 20410.

    Deployed from STS 32 1/10/89; 177 deg W; leased to U.S. government. The Leasat series was developed as a commercial venture to provide dedicated communications services to the U. S. military. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 178 deg E in 1990; 72 deg E in 1990-1997; 77 deg E in 1997-1998; 155 deg E in 1998-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 155.70 deg E drifting at 0.023 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 100.05E drifting at 0.003E degrees per day. - Additional details.

1998 - 23:08 GMT -
  • EVA Mir EO-24-6 Nation: Russia. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Space station. Spacecraft: Mir. Crew: Solovyov, Vinogradov. Flight: Mir NASA-5, Mir EO-24. EVA Duration: 0.13 days.

    Recovered equipment; began repairs on leaky Kvant-2 airlock. Examination of airlock indicated cause was loose belt, resulting in 10 mm gap.

2000 - 20:50 GMT - Launch Site: Kagoshima. Launch Complex: L. Launch Pad: K. Launch Vehicle: S. Model: S-310. LV Configuration: S-310-29.
  • WAVE2000 Aeronomy mission Nation: Japan. Agency: ISAS. Apogee: 179 km (111 mi).

2001 - 17:00 GMT - Launch Site: Jiuquan. Launch Complex: SLS. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: CZ. Model: CZ-2F. LV Configuration: Chang Zheng 2F CZ2F-2 (65).
  • Shenzhou 2 Nation: China. Mass: 7,400 kg (16,300 lb). Class: Manned. Type: Spacecraft. Spacecraft: Shenzhou. Manufacturer: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. Agency: CASC. Perigee: 330 km (200 mi). Apogee: 346 km (214 mi). Inclination: 42.60 deg. COSPAR: 2001-001A. USAF Sat Cat: 26664. Duration: 6.77 days. Decay Date: 2001-01-16.

    The second unmanned test flight of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft design carried a monkey, a dog and a rabbit in a test of the spaceship's life support systems. Shenzhou 2 was the first test of an all-up flight model of the spacecraft, with a functioning orbital module. It was also the most ambitious space science laboratory ever launched by China. It carried 64 scientific payloads: 15 in the re-entry module, 12 in the orbital module and 37 on the forward external pallet. These included a micro-gravity crystal growing device; life sciences experiments with 19 species of animals and plants, cosmic ray and particle detectors; and China's first gamma ray burst detectors.

    The launch was originally scheduled for January 5, but the second stage of the launch vehicle was dented by an access platform while being prepared for roll-out in the vehicle assembly building. This caused several days of delay until it was cleared for flight. Shenzhou 2 made three orbit-raising manoeuvres during its flight, reaching a 330 x 345 km orbit by the end of the initial phase of the mission. Ninety minutes before landing the orbital module depressurised, and the spacecraft went briefly out of control. However this was regained after venting of the atmosphere from the module ended. The descent module and service modules separated from the forward orbital module and external pallet normally. After retrofire by the service module, it separated and the descent module landed at 11:22 GMT on January 16 in Inner Mongolia. Lack of post-recovery photographs led to speculation that the recovery may not have been completely successful. The Shenzhou orbital module had its own solar panels and remained operational in orbit, conducting scientific experiments. It was actively controlled for six months, maneuvering in orbit several times (reaching a final orbit of 394 x 405 km). It then was allowed to decay and reentered the atmosphere at 09:05 GMT on August 24, 2001. The reentry point was near 33.1 deg S in latitude and 260.4 deg E in longitude, over the western Pacific Ocean between Easter Island and Chile.

2003 - 03:17 GMT - Launch Site: Balasore. Launch Complex: IC4. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Agni. Model: Agni 1.
  • Agni RV Mk 2 Nation: India. Agency: IDRDL. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi).

    MRBM test with dummy warhead.

2004 - 18:40 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: LF21. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Orbus. LV Configuration: GBI BV-5.
  • GMDS BVT-5 'BV+' test Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFSPC?. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

    Dummy EKV payload. Launch delayed from August, September, and December 18, 2003. Booster Verification Test -5 tested a three-stage booster configuration for use with the Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense System. Built by Lockheed Martin Corp., the booster was one of two slated for use with the GMD system. The system was designed to intercept and destroy long-range ballistic missiles.


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