China launched its new missile-derived Kaituozhe-2 variant on 2 March. The Japanese SS-520, a suborbital sounding rocket modified for orbital flight, failed to reach orbit in January.[1] If successful, it would have become the smallest and lightest vehicle to ever put an object in orbit.[2]
A record number of 466 satellites were attempted to be launched thanks to an increase in the number of small satellites. 289 of all satellites weighted less than 10kg.[4] The number of small satellites launched exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts.[5]
First Electron launch. Flight terminated by range safety at an altitude of 224 kilometres (139mi) due to an error in ground tracking equipment. Carried instruments on the upper stage rather than a payload.[34]
This mission carried the heaviest and most expensive commercial payload ever launched, valued at $800 million[36] with a combined payload mass of 9,969kg for both satellites (10,865kg total launch mass with dual-deployment hardware).[37]
Payload was inserted into a wrong orbit.[63][64] After 16 days of orbit raising maneuvers, the satellite raised its orbit from 16,420km to 36,000km, and corrected its longitude to 101.4°E.[citation needed]
Venta-1 was the first Latvian satellite. COMPASS-2, InflateSail, LithuanicaSAT-2, NUDTSat, Pegasus, UCLSat, URSA MAIOR and VZLUSat-2 are part of the QB-50 project led by Von Karman Institute to create a network of cubesats conducting measurements of Earth's lower termosphere and ionosphere.[68]
Delivery of 73 satellites in three orbital altitudes with a single launch.[84] Some cubesats were deployed into unintended orbit or having communication problem.[82] Mayak fails to deploy solar reflector.[85] Glavcosmos has later confirmed upper stage anomaly during the launch.[86][87]
The first orbital attempt for Simorgh.[88] Iranian official sources state that the rocket has reached orbit.[89][90]U.S. Strategic Command confirmed that no satellite deployed from the rocket as the rocket suffered a "catastrophic failure" shortly after liftoff.[91][92] The U.S. Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base reported that it had not detected any satellite released into low-Earth orbit by the Simorgh SLV.[93] Finally, the United States, France, Germany and Britain have condemned Iran's test of a satellite-launching rocket.[94]
First flight of Falcon 9 "block 4" upgrade.[102] Last flight of a newly-built Dragon capsule; further missions will use refurbished spacecraft.[103] Carried cosmic-ray detector ISS-CREAM to be installed on the station, and several cubesats to be later deployed from the ISS. Kestrel Eye was deployed into orbit from ISS on 24 October 2017.[104] ASTERIA and Dellingr/RBLE were deployed on 20 November 2017,[105] and OSIRIS-3U was deployed on 21 November 2017.[106]
Payload fairing failed to separate, leaving the satellite adrift within the fairing after internally separating from the fourth stage of the rocket.[109] The stage, along with IRNSS-1H, re-entered the atmosphere together on 2 March 2019.[110]
Originally intended to debut a new two-orbit rendezvous profile, profile reverted to standard 34-orbit profile after the first launch attempt was scrubbed.[115]
EcAMSat was deployed into orbit from ISS on 20 November 2017,[105] and TechEdSat-6 was deployed on 21 November 2017.[106] Other small satellites were deployed from Cygnus after it departed from ISS.[132]
First satellite of Angola. Launch was successful but contact was lost quickly afterwards.[148] On 28 December 2017, communication was temporarily restored and telemetry was received.[149]
The crew completed the installation of new batteries on the station's power channel 3A, and then executed a series of tasks to get ahead for the next EVA. Kimbrough collected photos of the AMS-02, then they removed a broken light on the S3 truss and routed Ethernet cables on the Z1 truss.
The crew completed the installation of new batteries on the station's power channel 1A, and then executed a series of get ahead tasks. First they installed a new camera on the Mobile Transporter Relay Assembly, then Pesquet replaced a Worksite Interface Adapter on Canadarm-2 and collected photos of Z1 truss and S0 truss, meanwhile Kimbrough removed 2 handrails from the Destiny module. Then they picked up a bundle of covers and brought them to the Tranquillity module where will be installed when Pressurized Mating Adapter 3 will be moved from Node 3 to Node 2. When removed, the PMA's Common Berthing Mechanism will be covered up to protect it from the space environment.
Kimbrough replaced the External Control Zone 2 (EXT-2) multiplexer–demultiplexer (MDM) with an upgraded "EPIC MDM" and prepared PMA-3 for its robotic relocation on Sunday. Pesquet inspected the Radiator Beam Valve Module for ammonia leaks, then lubricated one of the Latching End Effectors of Dextre. Kimbrough then replaced a pair of cameras on the Kibo module, and a light on one of the CETA carts.
Kimbrough replaced the External Control Zone 1 (EXT-1) multiplexer–demultiplexer (MDM) with an upgraded "EPIC MDM" while Whitson connected heater power and heater feedback telemetry to enable PMA-3 to be repressurized, then released a series of straps to free up a cover that protected the APAS. The astronauts then installed axial shields on PMA-3's former location on Tranquillity module and installed covers on PMA-3. One of the shields was lost but the others were installed successfully.[182]
Throughout this hurriedly planned "contingency" spacewalk, both Fischer and Whitson successfully replaced a failed multiplexer–demultiplexer (MDM), and installed a pair of antennas on station to enhance wireless communication for future spacewalks.[185]
For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Soyuz launches by Arianespace in Kourou are counted under Russia because Soyuz-2 is a Russian rocket.
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.
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.
This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or in development as of 2023; a second list includes all upcoming rockets and a third list includes all retired rockets For the simple list of all conventional launcher families, see: Comparison of orbital launchers families. For the list of predominantly solid-fueled orbital launch systems, see: Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems.
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.
In 2015, the maiden spaceflights of the Chinese Long March 6 and Long March 11 launch vehicles took place.
In 2014, the maiden flight of the Angara A5, Antares 120 and Antares 130 took place.
Several new rockets and spaceports began operations in 2016.
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.
This article compares different orbital launcher families. The article is organized into two tables: the first table contains a list of currently active and under-development launcher families, while the second table contains a list of retired launcher families.
This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2019.
This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2018. For the first time since 1990, more than 100 orbital launches were performed globally.
Planet Labs PBC is a publicly held American Earth imaging company based in San Francisco, California. Their goal is to image the entirety of the Earth daily to monitor changes and pinpoint trends.
This article documents notable spaceflight events during the year 2020.
A Falcon 9 awaits its first ever launch from the Kennedy Space Center, prior to Falcon 9 Flight 30 in February. It was the first launch to occur from Kennedy since STS-135 in July 2011.
The first orbital flight of the LVM3, during LVM3 D1 in June. The launch vehicle will eventually carry the Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft in the 2020s as part of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
1 2 "SS-520 4号機実験結果について" (Press release) (in Japanese). JAXA. 15 January 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
↑ "The Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR Mission". NASA. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2016. Previously scheduled for a December 2016 launch on SpaceX-12, NICER will now fly to the International Space Station with two other payloads on SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)-11, in the Dragon vehicle's unpressurized Trunk.
"BIRD BB". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ "BIRD BB". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
"BIRD GG". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ "BIRD GG". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
"BIRD MM". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ "BIRD MM". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
"BIRD NN". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ "BIRD NN". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
"BIRD JJ". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ "BIRD JJ". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ Clark, Stephen (30 August 2016). "SES agrees to launch satellite on 'flight-proven' Falcon 9 rocket". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016. Intelsat, one of the world's largest geostationary satellite operators alongside SES, has one launch reserved on a newly-built Falcon 9 rocket in the first quarter of 2017, when the Intelsat 35e satellite will launch from Cape Canaveral.
↑ Clark, Stephen. "Intelsat 35e". SpaceFlightNow. Archived from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
1 2 3 Clark, Stephen (14 December 2017). "Launch schedule". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 24 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
"OSIRIS-3U". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
↑ "OSIRIS-3U". N2YO.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
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