2003 in spaceflight

Last updated

2003 in spaceflight
Zhong Guo Kong Jian Zhan Jian Zao "1+1=1"1.png
Launch of Shenzhou 5, the first Chinese human spaceflight mission, this mission has made China the 3rd country to have independent human spaceflight capability after the USSR and the US.
Orbital launches
First11 January
Last29 December
Total63
Successes60
Failures3
Partial failures0
Catalogued 61
National firsts
Satellite Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Space traveller Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Rockets
Maiden flights Atlas V 521
Delta II Heavy
Delta IV Medium
Strela
Retirements Ariane 4 44L
Ariane 5G
Space Shuttle Columbia
Titan 23G
Crewed flights
Orbital4
Total travellers13
2003 in spaceflight
  2002
2004  

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2003 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

Contents

Space Shuttle Columbia disaster

On Saturday, February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was the second Space Shuttle mission to end in disaster, after the loss of Challenger and crew in 1986.

First human spaceflight mission from China

Shenzhou 5 (Chinese :神舟五号; pinyin :Shénzhōu Wǔ Hào, see § Etymology) was the first human spaceflight mission of the Chinese space program, launched on 15 October 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of uncrewed Shenzhou missions since 1999. China became the third country in the world to have independent human spaceflight capability after the Soviet Union (later, Russia) and the United States.

Orbital launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat)
Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC)Outcome
Remarks

January

6 January
14:19
Flag of the United States.svg Titan 23G Flag of the United States.svg Vandenberg SLC-4W Flag of the United States.svg Lockheed Martin
Flag of the United States.svg Coriolis US Air Force Low Earth Technology developmentIn orbitOperational
13 January
00:45
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7320-10C Flag of the United States.svg Vandenberg SLC-2W Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg ICESat NASA Low Earth Oceanography 30 August 2010
09:00 [2]
Partial spacecraft failure
Flag of the United States.svg CHIPSat NASALow Earth Astrophysics In orbitOperational
Laser reliability issues limited ICESat operations. ICESat deactivated in February 2010 following failure of last laser in October 2009.
16 January
20:39
Flag of the United States.svg Space Shuttle Columbia Flag of the United States.svg Kennedy Space Center LC-39A Flag of the United States.svg United Space Alliance
Flag of the United States.svg STS-107 NASALow EarthResearch1 February
13:59
Failure
Flag of the United States.svg Spacehab-RDM NASALow Earth (Columbia)Microgravity and Earth science research
Flag of the United States.svg EDO Pallet NASALow Earth (Columbia)Cryogenic mission duration extension pallet
Crewed orbital flight with 7 astronauts, including the first Israeli space traveler
Final flight of Space Shuttle Columbia, disintegrated during re-entry resulting in loss of crew and vehicle.
25 January
20:13
Flag of the United States.svg Pegasus-XL Flag of the United States.svg Stargazer, Cape Canaveral Flag of the United States.svg Orbital Sciences
Flag of the United States.svg SORCE NASALow Earthinvestigate total solar irradiance In orbitOperational
29 January
18:06
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7925-9.5 Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-17B Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg GPS IIR-8 (USA-166)US Air Force Medium Earth NavigationIn orbitOperational
Flag of the United States.svg XSS-10 US Air ForceLow EarthTechnology demonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
XSS-10 deactivated 30 January 2003

February

2 February
12:59
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-U Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 1/5 Flag of Russia.svg Roskosmos
Flag of Russia.svg Progress M-47 Roskosmos Low Earth (ISS)Logistics27 AugustSuccessful
ISS flight 10P
15 February
07:00
Flag of Europe.svg Ariane 4 44L Flag of France.svg Kourou ELA-2 Flag of France.svg Arianespace
Flag of the United Nations.svg Intelsat 907 Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbitOperational
Final flight of Ariane 4 44L

March

11 March
00:59
Flag of the United States.svg Delta IV Medium Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-37B Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg DSCS III A-3 (USA-167)US Air ForceGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
Maiden flight of Delta IV Medium
28 March
01:27
Flag of Japan.svg H-IIA 2024 Flag of Japan.svg Tanegashima LA-Y1 Flag of Japan.svg
Flag of Japan.svg IGS-1A Japanese Government Low EarthReconnaissance18 July 2014Successful
Flag of Japan.svg IGS-1B Japanese GovernmentLow EarthReconnaissance26 July 2012Partial spacecraft failure
IGS-1B lost power in 2007, and concluded operations after just over half of its design life [3]
31 March
22:09
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7925-9.5 Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-17A Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg GPS IIR-9 (USA-168)US Air ForceMedium EarthNavigationIn orbitOperational

April

2 April
01:53
Flag of Russia.svg Molniya-M Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Site 16/2 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Molniya 1-92 VKS Molniya CommunicationsIn orbitOperational
8 April
14:43
Flag of the United States.svg Titan IVB (401)/Centaur Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-40 Flag of the United States.svg Lockheed Martin
Flag of the United States.svg Milstar 6 (USA-169)US Air ForceGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
9 April
22:52
Flag of Europe.svg Ariane 5G Flag of France.svg Kourou ELA-3 Flag of France.svg Arianespace
Flag of India.svg INSAT 3A ISRO GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
Flag of the United States.svg Galaxy 12 PanAmSat GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
12 April
00:47
Flag of the United States.svg Atlas IIIB Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-36B Flag of Russia.svg Flag of the United States.svg International Launch Services
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg AsiaSat 4 AsiaSat GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
26 April
03:53
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-FG Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 1/5 Flag of Russia.svg Roskosmos
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz TMA-2 RoskosmosLow Earth (ISS)ISS Expedition 7 28 OctoberSuccessful
Crewed orbital flight with 2 cosmonauts
24 April
04:23
Flag of Russia.svg Proton-K/DM-2 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 81/24 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2397 VKSGeosynchronousMissile warningIn orbitOperational
28 April
12:00
Flag of the United States.svg Pegasus-XL Flag of the United States.svg Stargazer, Cape Canaveral Flag of the United States.svg Orbital Sciences
Flag of the United States.svg GALEX NASALow Earth Ultraviolet astronomy In orbitOperational

May

8 May
11:28
Flag of India.svg GSLV Flag of India.svg Satish Dhawan FLP Flag of India.svg ISRO
Flag of India.svg GSAT-2 ISROGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
9 May
04:29
Flag of Japan.svg M-V Flag of Japan.svg Uchinoura Flag of Japan.svg
Flag of Japan.svg Hayabusa (MUSES-C) ISAS Heliocentric Asteroid sample-return probe13 June 2010Partial spacecraft failure
Flag of Japan.svg MINERVA ISASHeliocentricAsteroid landerIn orbitSpacecraft failure
Explored asteroid 1998 SF36
13 May
22:10
Flag of the United States.svg Atlas V 401 Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-41 Flag of Russia.svg Flag of the United States.svg International Launch Services
Flag of Greece.svg HellasSat 2 Hellas-Sat GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
First Greek satellite
24 May
16:34
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Long March 3A Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Xichang Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Beidou 2A GeosynchronousNavigationIn orbitOperational

June

2 June
17:45
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-FG/Fregat Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 31/6 Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Russia.svg Starsem
Flag of Europe.svg Mars Express ESA Areocentric Mars probeIn orbitOperational
Flag of Europe.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Beagle 2 ESAHeliocentricMars lander25 December 2003Spacecraft failure
Maiden flight of Soyuz-FG/Fregat
Beagle 2 failed to contact Earth after landing on Mars
4 June
19:23
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos-3M Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Site 132/1 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2398 MO RF Low EarthIn orbitOperational
6 June
22:15
Flag of Russia.svg Proton-K/Briz-M Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 200/39 Flag of Russia.svg Flag of the United States.svg International Launch Services
Flag of the United States.svg AMC-9 SES Americom GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
8 June
10:34
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-U Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 1/5 Flag of Russia.svg Roskosmos
Flag of Russia.svg Progress M1-10 RoskosmosLow Earth (ISS)Logistics
Earth observation
3 OctoberSuccessful
ISS flight 11P
10 June
13:55
Flag of Ukraine.svg Zenit-3SL Flag of Norway.svg Ocean Odyssey Flag of the United Nations.svg Sea Launch
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg Thuraya 2 Thuraya GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
10 June
17:58
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7925 Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-17A Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg Spirit (MER-A/MER-2) NASAHeliocentricMars rover4 January 2004Operational
Flag of the United States.svg Spirit lander NASAHeliocentricMars lander4 January 2004Successful
11 June
22:38
Flag of Europe.svg Ariane 5G Flag of France.svg Kourou ELA-3 Flag of France.svg Arianespace
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Optus C1 Optus/Australian Government GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
Flag of Japan.svg BSAT-2C BSAT GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
19 June
20:00
Flag of Russia.svg Molniya-M Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Site 43/3 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Molniya 3-53 VKSMolniyaCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
26 June
18:55
Flag of the United States.svg Pegasus-XL Flag of the United States.svg Stargazer, Vandenberg Flag of the United States.svg Orbital Sciences
Flag of the United States.svg Orbview 3 Orbview Low EarthImaging3 March 2011Satellite failure
Ceased operations on 4 March 2007 after camera malfunction
30 June
14:15
Flag of Russia.svg Rokot/Briz-KM Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Russia.svg Eurockot
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg MIMOSA Low Earth18 December 2011Successful
DTUSat Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg MOST Low EarthSpace telescopeIn orbitOperational
Cute-I Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of the United States.svg QuakeSat Stanford University Low EarthEarth observationIn orbitOperational
AAU-Cubesat Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Can X-1 Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Cubesat XI Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Cubesat XII Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Cubesat XIII Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Cubesat XIV Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of Russia.svg Monitor-E Low EarthIn orbitOperational

July

8 July
04:18
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7925H Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-17B Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg Opportunity (MER-B/MER-1) NASAHeliocentricMars roverIn orbitOperational
Flag of the United States.svg Opportunity lander NASAHeliocentricMars landerIn orbitSuccessful
Maiden flight of Delta II Heavy
17 July
23:45
Flag of the United States.svg Atlas V 521 Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-41 Flag of Russia.svg Flag of the United States.svg International Launch Services
Flag of the United States.svg Rainbow-1 Cablevision GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
Maiden flight of Atlas V 521

August

8 August
03:31
Flag of Ukraine.svg Zenit-3SL Flag of Norway.svg Ocean Odyssey Flag of the United Nations.svg Sea Launch
Flag of the United States.svg Echostar 9 (Telstar 13) EchoStar GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
12 August
14:20
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-U Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 31/6 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2399 Low EarthReconnaissance9 DecemberFailure
Film capsule failed to deorbit
13 August
02:09
Flag of the United States.svg Pegasus-XL Flag of the United States.svg Stargazer, Vandenberg Flag of the United States.svg Orbital Sciences
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg SCISAT-1 CSA Low EarthAtmospheric researchIn orbitOperational
19 August
10:50
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos-3M Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Site 132/1 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2400 (Strela 3)Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2401 (Strela 3)Low EarthIn orbitOperational
22 August
16:30
Flag of Brazil.svg VLS-1 V03 Flag of Brazil.svg Alcântara Flag of Brazil.svg Brazilian Space Agency
Flag of Brazil.svg SATEC INPE Intended: Low EarthLaunch vehicle evaluationNever left groundPrecluded
Flag of Brazil.svg UNOSAT INPE Intended: Low EarthNever left ground
Solid rocket booster ignition 3 days before the launch resulted in the catastrophic explosion, destroying the launch pad and killing 21 people. VLS-1 never had a new attempt and its development was extinguished in 2016.
25 August
05:35
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7920H Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-17B Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg Spitzer Space Telescope (SIRTF)NASAHeliocentric Infrared astronomy In orbitOperational
29 August
01:47
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-U Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 1/5 Flag of Russia.svg Roskosmos
Flag of Russia.svg Progress M-48 RoskosmosLow Earth (ISS)Logistics28 January 2004Successful
ISS flight 12P
29 August
23:13
Flag of the United States.svg Delta IV Medium Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-37B Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg DSCS III B-6 (USA-170)US Air ForceGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational

September

9 September
04:29
Flag of the United States.svg Titan IVB (401)/Centaur Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-40 Flag of the United States.svg Lockheed Martin
Flag of the United States.svg USA-171 / Orion 5 NRO Geosynchronous ELINT In orbitOperational
NROL-26 mission.
16 September Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Kaituozhe-1 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Taiyuan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg PS-2 Intended: Low Earth Microsat 16 SeptemberLaunch failure
Fourth stage failed to ignite
27 September
06:11
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos-3M Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Site 132/1 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Mozhaets-4 Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of Nigeria.svg NigeriaSat-1 Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg UK-DMC Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of Turkey.svg BILSAT-1 Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Larets Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Flag of South Korea.svg STSat-1 Low EarthIn orbitOperational
Rubin-4-DSI Low EarthIn orbitOperational
NigeriaSat-1 is the first Nigerian satellite
27 September
23:14
Flag of Europe.svg Ariane 5G Flag of France.svg Kourou ELA-3 Flag of France.svg Arianespace
Flag of France.svg Eurobird 3 Eutelsat GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
Flag of India.svg INSAT 3E ISROGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful [4]
Flag of Europe.svg SMART-1 ESA Selenocentric Lunar probe27 September 2006
05:42:22
Successful
Final flight of Ariane 5G

October

1 October
04:02
Flag of Ukraine.svg Zenit-3SL Flag of Norway.svg Ocean Odyssey Flag of the United Nations.svg Sea Launch
Flag of Japan.svg Flag of the United States.svg Galaxy 13 (Horizons 1)PanAmSatGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitoperational
15 October
01:00
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Long March 2F Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Jiuquan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Shenzhou 5 CMSA Low Earth15 October
22:53
Successful
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Shenzhou spacecraft orbital module CMSA Low EarthReconnaissance30 May 2004Successful
Crewed orbital flight with 1 astronaut (Yang Liwei), first Chinese space traveller and indigenous crewed spaceflight
17 October
04:54
Flag of India.svg PSLV Flag of India.svg Satish Dhawan FLP Flag of India.svg ISRO
Flag of India.svg RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6)ISROLow EarthEarth observationIn orbitOperational
18 October
05:38
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-FG Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 1/5 Flag of Russia.svg Roskosmos
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz TMA-3 RoskosmosLow Earth (ISS)ISS Expedition 8 30 April 2004Successful
Crewed orbital flight with 3 cosmonauts
18 October
16:17
Flag of the United States.svg Titan 23G/Star 37 Flag of the United States.svg Vandenberg SLC-4W Flag of the United States.svg Lockheed Martin
Flag of the United States.svg DMSP 5D-2 (USA-172)US Air ForceLow EarthWeather satelliteIn orbitOperational
Final flight of Titan 23G
21 October
03:16
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Long March 4B Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Taiyuan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zi Yuan 1-2 (CBERS-2)CAAC/INPELow EarthEarth resourcesIn orbitOperational
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Chuangxin-1 CAS Low EarthCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
30 October
13:43
Flag of Russia.svg Rockot/Briz-KM Flag of Russia.svg Plesetsk Site 133 Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Russia.svg Eurockot
Flag of Japan.svg SERVIS-1 Low EarthIn orbitOperational

November

3 November
07:20
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Long March 2D Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Jiuquan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg FSW-18 (FSW-3) SAST Low EarthImaging18 DecemberSuccessful
14 November
16:34
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Long March 3A Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Xichang Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhongxing 20 GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
24 November
06:22
Flag of Russia.svg Proton-K/DM-2M Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 81/23 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Yamal-201 Gazprom GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
Flag of Russia.svg Yamal 202 GazpromGeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
29 November
04:33
Flag of Japan.svg H-IIA 2024 Flag of Japan.svg Tanegashima LA-Y1 Flag of Japan.svg
Flag of Japan.svg IGS-2A Japanese GovernmentLow EarthReconnaissanceT+60 secondsLaunch failure
Flag of Japan.svg IGS-2B Low EarthReconnaissance
SRB failed to separate. Destroyed by RSO.

December

2 December
10:04
Flag of the United States.svg Atlas IIAS Flag of the United States.svg Vandenberg SLC-3E Flag of the United States.svg
Flag of the United States.svg NOSS-3 (USA-173)NROLow EarthNaval SIGINT In orbitOperational
Flag of the United States.svg NOSS-3 (USA-173)NROLow EarthNaval SIGINTIn orbitOperational
NRO launch 18
5 December
06:00
Flag of Russia.svg Strela Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 175 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Gruzomaket Low Earth Boilerplate In orbitSuccessful
Maiden flight of Strela rocket
10 December
17:42
Flag of Russia.svg Proton-K/Briz-M Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 81/24 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2402 (GLONASS) KNITs Medium EarthNavigationIn orbitOperational
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2403 (GLONASS)KNITsMedium EarthNavigationIn orbitOperational
Flag of Russia.svg Kosmos 2404 (GLONASS)KNITsMedium EarthNavigationIn orbitOperational
18 December
02:30
Flag of the United States.svg Atlas IIIB Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-36B Flag of Russia.svg Flag of the United States.svg International Launch Services
Flag of the United States.svg UHF F/O F11 (USA-174) US Navy GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
21 December
08:05
Flag of the United States.svg Delta II 7925-9.5 Flag of the United States.svg Cape Canaveral SLC-17A Flag of the United States.svg Boeing IDS
Flag of the United States.svg GPS IIR-10 (USA-175)US Air ForceMedium EarthNavigationIn orbitOperational
27 December
21:30
Flag of Russia.svg Soyuz-FG/Fregat Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 31/6 Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Russia.svg Starsem
Flag of Israel.svg AMOS-2 Spacecom GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
28 December
20:37
Flag of Russia.svg Proton-K/DM-2M Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Baikonur Site 200/39 Flag of Russia.svg VKS
Flag of Russia.svg Ekspress AM22 RSCC GeosynchronousCommunicationsIn orbitOperational
29 December
19:06
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Long March 2C Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Xichang Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Flag of Europe.svg Tan Ce 1 (Double Star 1)CNSA/ESA High Earth (High-eccentricity) Magnetosphere research14 October 2007Successful

Suborbital launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat)
Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC)Outcome
Remarks

January

9 January
03:17
Flag of India.svg Agni-I Flag of India.svg Balasore IC-4 Flag of India.svg IDRDL
IDRDL Suborbital Missile test9 JanuarySuccessful

March

26 March
06:00
Flag of India.svg Prithvi-2 Flag of India.svg Balasore Flag of India.svg IDRDL
IDRDLSuborbitalMissile test26 MarchSuccessful

April

29 April
05:50
Flag of India.svg Prithvi-2 Flag of India.svg Balasore Flag of India.svg IDRDL
IDRDLSuborbitalMissile test29 AprilSuccessful

December

24 December Flag of the Republic of China.svg Taiwan Sounding Rocket Sounding Rocket III Flag of the Republic of China.svg Jiu Peng Air Base Flag of the Republic of China.svg NSPO
Flag of the Republic of China.svg TMA release experimentNSPOSuborbitalIonospheric research24 December
T+508 seconds
Successful
Apogee: 265 km (165 mi) [5]

Deep Space Rendezvous

Date (GMT)SpacecraftEventRemarks
19 June Nozomi 3rd flyby of the Earth
21 September Galileo Deorbited into the Jovian atmosphere
9 DecemberNozomiFlyby of Mars Damaged by solar flares
24 December Beagle 2 Crashed at Isidis Planitia, Mars
24 December Mars Express Areocentric orbit injection

EVAs

Start Date/TimeDurationEnd TimeSpacecraftCrewFunctionRemarks
15 January
12:50
6 hours
51 minutes
19:41 Expedition 6
ISS Quest
Flag of the United States.svg Kenneth Bowersox
Flag of the United States.svg Donald Pettit
Released the remaining launch locks on the P1 radiator assembly, removed debris on a sealing ring of Unity's docking port, and tested an ammonia reservoir on the station's P6 truss. [6]
8 April
12:40
6 hours
26 minutes
19:06Expedition 6
ISS Quest
Flag of the United States.svg Kenneth Bowersox
Flag of the United States.svg Donald Pettit
Reconfigured cables on the S0 (S-Zero), S1 and P1 trusses, replaced a Power Control Module on the Mobile Transporter, installed Spool Positioning Devices on Destiny, and reinstalled a thermal cover on an S1 Radiator Beam Valve Module. [6]

Orbital launch summary

By country

Circle frame.svgChina: 7Europe: 4India: 2Brazil: 1Russia: 21Ukraine: 3USA: 23Japan: 3
CountryLaunchesSuccessesFailuresPartial
failures
Remarks
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 7610
Flag of Europe.svg  Europe 4400
Flag of India.svg  India 2200
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 3210
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 1010
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 212100
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 3300
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 232210
World646040

By rocket

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
R-7

By family

By type

By configuration

By spaceport

5
10
15
20
25
30
Brazil
China
France
India
International waters
Japan
Kazakhstan
SiteCountryLaunchesSuccessesFailuresPartial failuresRemarks
Alcântara Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 1010
Baikonur Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 141400
Cape Canaveral Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 161600Two launches used Stargazer aircraft
Jiuquan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 2200
Kennedy Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 1010
Kourou Flag of France.svg  France 4400
Ocean Odyssey Flag of the United Nations.svg International waters3300
Plesetsk Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 7700
Satish Dhawan Flag of India.svg  India 2200
Taiyuan Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 2110
Tanegashima Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 2110
Uchinoura Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 1100
Vandenberg Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 6600Two launches used Stargazer aircraft
Xichang Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 3300
Total646040

By orbit

5
10
15
20
25
30
Transatmospheric
  •   Transatmospheric
  •   Low Earth
  •   Low Earth (ISS)
  •   Low Earth (SSO)
  •   Low Earth (retrograde)
  •   Medium Earth
  •   Geosychronous
    (transfer)
  •   Inclined GSO
  •   High Earth
  •   Heliocentric
Orbital regimeLaunchesSuccessesFailuresAccidentally
achieved
Remarks
Transatmospheric0000
Low Earth 2926305 to ISS
Medium Earth / Molniya 6600
Geosynchronous / GTO 232300
High Earth / Lunar transfer 1100
Heliocentric / Planetary transfer 5500
Total646130

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human spaceflight</span> Spaceflight with a crew or passengers

Human spaceflight is spaceflight with a crew or passengers aboard a spacecraft, often with the spacecraft being operated directly by the onboard human crew. Spacecraft can also be remotely operated from ground stations on Earth, or autonomously, without any direct human involvement. People trained for spaceflight are called astronauts, cosmonauts (Russian), or taikonauts (Chinese); and non-professionals are referred to as spaceflight participants or spacefarers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2006 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs. 2006 saw Brazil, Iran, and Sweden all get a national into space for the first time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2005 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs. 2005 saw Iran launch its first satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2007 contained several significant events in spaceflight, including a Chinese ASAT test, the launches of the US Phoenix and Dawn missions to study Mars and Asteroid belt respectively, Japan's Kaguya Lunar orbiter, and the first Chinese Lunar probe, Chang'e 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2004 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2002 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2001 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 in spaceflight</span>

This article outlines notable events occurring in 2000 in spaceflight, including major launches and EVAs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2008 contained several significant events in spaceflight, including the first flyby of Mercury by a spacecraft since 1975, the discovery of water ice on Mars by the Phoenix spacecraft, which landed in May, the first Chinese spacewalk in September, the launch of the first Indian Lunar probe in October, and the first successful flight of a privately developed orbital launch vehicle by SpaceX's Falcon 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 in spaceflight</span>

The following is an outline of 1981 in spaceflight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 in spaceflight</span>

Several significant events in spaceflight occurred in 2009, including Iran conducting its first indigenous orbital launch, the first Swiss satellite being launched and New Zealand launching its first sounding rocket. The H-IIB and Naro-1 rockets conducted maiden flights, whilst the Tsyklon-3, Falcon 1 and Ariane 5GS were retired from service. The permanent crew of the International Space Station increased from three to six in May, and in the last few months of the year, Japan's first resupply mission to the outpost, HTV-1, was conducted successfully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2010 saw a number of notable events in worldwide spaceflight activities. These included the first test flight of the SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply spacecraft, which is intended to resupply the International Space Station (ISS), and the maiden flights of the Falcon 9 and Minotaur IV rockets. In June 2010, South Korea conducted a second Naro-1 launch, after the failure of the rocket's maiden flight in 2009; however, the second attempt also failed. The Kosmos-3M was retired from service, making its final flight in April. The Molniya-M was also retired from service, making its final flight in September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2011 saw a number of significant events in spaceflight, including the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle after its final flight in July 2011, and the launch of China's first space station module, Tiangong-1, in September. A total of 84 orbital launches were conducted over the course of the year, of which 78 were successful. Russia, China and the United States conducted the majority of the year's orbital launches, with 35, 19 and 18 launches respectively; 2011 marked the first year that China conducted more successful launches than the United States. Seven crewed missions were launched into orbit during 2011, carrying a total of 28 astronauts to the International Space Station. Additionally, the Zenit-3F and Long March 2F/G carrier rockets made their maiden flights in 2011, while the Delta II Heavy made its last.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2012 saw a number of significant events in spaceflight. In May and October, the first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services resupply missions took place, during which the SpaceX Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). In June, China launched the crewed Shenzhou 9 orbital mission, and North Korea achieved its first successful orbital launch in December. 2012 also saw China's first successful asteroid exploration mission, and the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. The Vega and Unha-3 rockets made their maiden flights in 2012, while the Proton-K made its last.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 in spaceflight</span>

In 2015, the maiden spaceflights of the Chinese Long March 6 and Long March 11 launch vehicles took place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 in spaceflight</span>

In 2014, the maiden flight of the Angara A5, Antares 120 and Antares 130 took place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 in spaceflight</span>

Several new rockets and spaceports began operations in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 in spaceflight</span>

In 2013, the maiden spaceflight of the Orbital Sciences' Antares launch vehicle, designated A-ONE, took place on 13 April. Orbital Science also launched its first spacecraft, Cygnus, that docked with the International Space Station in late September 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2021 broke the record for the most orbital launch attempts till then (146) and most humans in space concurrently (19) despite the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 in spaceflight</span>

The year 2022 witnessed the number of launches of SpaceX's Falcon rocket family surpassing the CNSA's Long March rocket family, making the United States the country with the highest number of launches in 2022 instead of China. This year also featured the first successful launch of Long March 6A, Nuri, Angara 1.2, Vega C, Kinetica-1, and Jielong-3. National space agencies' activities in this year is also marred by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leading to tension between Roscosmos and Western space agencies, threats of ending collaboration on the International Space Station (ISS), and delays on space missions.

References

Generic references:
RocketSunIcon.svg Spaceflightportal

Footnotes

  1. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (January 2009). "Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report" (PDF). NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server. Houston, Texas. p. 91. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  2. "Icesat Satellite". Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies. The Aerospace Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012.
  3. Blau, Patrick (31 July 2012). "IGS 1B Re-Entry". Spaceflight 101. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  4. S, Madhumathi D. (2 April 2014). "After 10 years in orbit, INSAT-3E expires". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  5. Chern, Jeng-Shing; Wu, Bill; Chen, Yen-Sen; Wu, An-Ming (2012). "Suborbital and low-thermospheric experiments using sounding rockets in Taiwan". Acta Astronautica. 70: 159–164. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2011.07.030. ISSN   0094-5765.
  6. 1 2 NASA (2003). "Expedition Six Spacewalks". NASA. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.