Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States,running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race,its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely,ideally before the Soviet Union. Taken over from the US Air Force by the newly created civilian space agency NASA,it conducted 20 uncrewed developmental flights,and six successful flights by astronauts. The program,which took its name from Roman mythology,cost $2.38 billion. The astronauts were collectively known as the "Mercury Seven",and each spacecraft was given a name ending with a "7" by its pilot.
Human spaceflight programs have been conducted,started,or planned by multiple countries and companies. Until the 21st century,human spaceflight programs were sponsored exclusively by governments,through either the military or civilian space agencies. With the launch of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004,a new category of human spaceflight programs –commercial human spaceflight –arrived. As of July 2021,three countries and one private company (SpaceX) have launched humans to Earth orbit,and two private companies have launched humans on a suborbital trajectory. The criteria for what constitutes human spaceflight vary. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale defines spaceflight as any flight over 100 kilometers (62 mi). In the United States professional,military,and commercial astronauts who travel above an altitude of 80 kilometers (50 mi) are awarded the United States Astronaut Badge. This article follows the FAI definition of spaceflight.
Mercury-Scout 1,or MS-1,was a United States spacecraft intended to test tracking stations for Project Mercury flights. It grew out of a May 5,1961 NASA proposal to use Scout rockets to launch small satellites to evaluate the worldwide Mercury Tracking Network in preparation for manned orbital missions. The launch of Mercury-Scout 1 on November 1,1961 was unsuccessful,and the satellite failed to achieve orbit.
The Scout family of rockets were American launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages. It was also the only vehicle of that type until the successful launch of the Japanese Lambda 4S in 1970.
The Minotaur is a family of United States solid fuel launch vehicles derived from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). They are built by Northrop Grumman via contract with the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Development and Test Directorate (SMC/SD) as part of the Air Force's Rocket Systems Launch Program which converts retired Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles into space and test launch systems for U.S. government agencies.
This article outlines notable events occurring in 2005 in spaceflight,including major launches and EVAs. 2005 saw Iran launch its first satellite.
The Minotaur I,or just Minotaur is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minuteman II missile. It is used to launch small satellites for the US Government,and is a member of the Minotaur family of rockets produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation.
Atlas is a family of US missiles and space launch vehicles that originated with the SM-65 Atlas. The Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program was initiated in the late 1950s under the Convair Division of General Dynamics. Atlas was a liquid propellant rocket burning RP-1 fuel with liquid oxygen in three engines configured in an unusual "stage-and-a-half" or "parallel staging" design:two outboard booster engines were jettisoned along with supporting structures during ascent,while the center sustainer engine,propellant tanks and other structural elements remained connected through propellant depletion and engine shutdown.
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 currently operational or in development;a second 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.
Scout X-2 was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket which was flown twice in 1962. It was a four-stage rocket,based on the earlier Scout X-1,uprated first and third stages. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
Launch Complex 18 (LC-18) is a launch complex at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,Florida that was active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was used by Viking,Vanguard,Thor and Scout rockets. The complex consists of two launch pads,LC-18A,which was originally built by the US Navy for the Vanguard rocket,and LC-18B,which was originally by the US Air Force used for tests of the PGM-17 Thor missile.
The NOTS-EV-2 Caleb,also known as NOTS-500,Hi-Hoe and SIP was an expendable launch system,which was later used as a sounding rocket and prototype anti-satellite weapon. It was developed by the United States Navy's Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) as a follow-up to the NOTS-EV-1 Pilot,which had been abandoned following ten launches officially classified as failed missions. Two were launched in July and October 1960,before the cancellation of the project. Following cancellation,two leftover Calebs were used in the Satellite Interceptor Program (SIP),while three more were used as sounding rockets,under the designation Hi-Hoe. These derivatives flew until July 1962,when the Hi-Hoe made its final flight.
Scout X-1 was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket which was flown seven times between August 1960 and October 1961. Four orbital and three suborbital launches were made,with four of the launches resulting in failures.
The RM-89 Blue Scout I was an American sounding rocket which was flown four times between January 1961 and April 1962. It was used for two HETS test flights,and a flight to investigate atmospheric re-entry. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
Scout X-2M was an American expendable launch system which was flown three times between May 1962 and April 1963. It was a four-stage rocket,based on the earlier Scout X-2,but with an MG-18 upper stage instead of the Altair used on the X-2. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
The Scout X-2B was an American expendable launch system which was flown during 1963. It was a four-stage rocket,based on the earlier Scout X-2,but with an Altair 2A fourth stage in place of the Altair 1A used on the X-2. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
Notable spaceflight activities in 2017 included the maiden flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III on 5 June and the first suborbital test of Rocket Lab's Electron rocket,inaugurating the Mahia spaceport in New Zealand. The rocket is named for its innovative Rutherford engine which feeds propellants via battery-powered electric motors instead of the usual gas generator and turbopumps.
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) or up to 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of medium-lift launch vehicles.
