2008 in spaceflight
Encyclopedia
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, and the launch of the first India
n Lunar
probe
in October.
, 100 kilometres above sea level. The first recorded spaceflight launch of the year occurred on 11 January, when a Black Brant
was launched on a suborbital trajectory from White Sands
, with the LIDOS ultraviolet astronomy payload. This was followed by the first orbital launch of the year on 15 January, by a Sea Launch
Zenit-3SL
, with the Thuraya 3 communications satellite. The launch marked the return to flight for Sea Launch following the explosion of a Zenit-3SL on the launch pad the previous January during an attempt to launch the NSS-8
satellite.
Five carrier rockets made their maiden flights in 2008; the Ariane 5ES
, Long March 3C
, Zenit-3SLB
, PSLV-XL
, and the operational version of the Falcon 1
, with an uprated Merlin-1C engine. These were all derived from existing systems. The Blue Sparrow and Sajjil
missiles also conducted their maiden flights, and the ATK Launch Vehicle
made its only flight, but was destroyed by range safety
after it went off course. In November, the baseline Proton-M
was retired in favour of the Enhanced variant, first launched in 2007.
The first Vietnam
ese and Venezuela
n satellites, Vinasat-1 and Venesat-1
respectively, were launched in 2008, while a failed Iran
ian launch was reported to have been that country's first indigenous orbital launch attempt. In September, SpaceX
conducted the first successful orbital launch of a privately developed and funded liquid-fuelled carrier rocket, when the fourth Falcon 1
launched RatSat
, following previous failures in 2006, 2007, and August.
India
launched its first Lunar probe, Chandraayan-1, on 22 October, with the spacecraft entering selenocentric orbit on 8 November. On 16 November, the Moon Impact Probe
was released, and crashed into the Lunar surface. Although no other spacecraft were launched beyond geocentric orbit
in 2008, several significant events occurred in interplanetary flights which had been launched in previous years. MESSENGER
conducted flybys of Mercury in January and October, the first spacecraft to do so since Mariner 10
in 1975. Cassini
continued to make flybys of the moons of Saturn
, including several close passes of Enceladus
, one at a distance of 25 kilometres. In September Rosetta
flew past the asteroid 2867 Šteins
. On 25 May, the Phoenix
spacecraft landed in the Green Valley
on Mars
, where it discovered water ice
. Phoenix exceeded its design life of 90 days, finally failing on 10 November. The Ulysses spacecraft, launched in 1990, was also retired in 2008.
, two by Russia
and four by the United States
. In April, Yi So-yeon
became the first South Korea
n to fly in space, aboard Soyuz TMA-12
. On the same flight, Sergey Volkov became the first second-generation cosmonaut. Yi returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-11
, which nearly ended in disaster following a separation failure between the descent and service modules, resulting in a ballistic reentry
. In September, China conducted its third manned mission, Shenzhou 7
, from which Zhai Zhigang
and Liu Boming
conducted the first Chinese spacewalk. Soyuz TMA-13
, launched in October, was the hundredth flight of the Soyuz programme
to carry a crew at some point in its mission.
Assembly of the International Space Station
continued, with the delivery of the Columbus
module by on mission STS-122
in February. March saw the launch of the Jules Verne
Automated Transfer Vehicle
, an unmanned European spacecraft which was used to resupply the space station. Also in March, Space Shuttle launched on STS-123
with the first component of the Japanese Experiment Module
, the Experiment Logistics Module. STS-123 marked the final flight of the Spacelab
programme, with a SpaceLab pallet used to carry the Canadian-built Dextre RMS extension. The second JEM component, the main pressurised module, was launched by STS-124
, flown by in May. In November, Endeavour launched on the STS-126
logistics flight, with the Leonardo MPLM
.
upper stage launched AMC-14. Several hours later, on 15 March, the Briz-M engine cut off prematurely during a burn, leaving the satellite in a medium Earth orbit
. Following a small legal dispute, the satellite was sold, and raised to a geosynchronous orbit
by its manoeuvring thrusters, at the expense of a large amount of its fuel and hence operational life.
On 3 August, SpaceX launched the third Falcon 1. Due to residual thrust caused by the upgraded Merlin-1C engine which was being flown for the first time, the first stage recontacted the second during staging, resulting in the rocket failing to reach orbit. The Trailblazer
, PreSat
and NanoSail-D
satellites were lost in the failure, as was a space burial
capsule, containing the remains of several hundred people, including astronaut Gordon Cooper
, actor James Doohan
, writer and director John Meredyth Lucas
and Apollo mission planner Mareta West
.
On 16 August, Iran launched a Safir, which though officially successful, was reported to have failed due to a second stage malfunction. The purpose of this launch is in doubt, as before the launch it was claimed that it would place the Omid into orbit, whilst following the launch, it was reported that a boilerplate payload had been launched. Other reports indicated that the launch was only a suborbital test of the rocket. If this was an orbital launch attempt, it was the first Iranian attempt to launch a satellite.
In total, sixty nine orbital launches were made in 2008, with sixty seven reaching orbit, and two outright failures if the Iranian launch in August is counted. This is an increase of one orbital launch attempt on 2007, with two more launches reaching orbit, which continues a trend of increasing launch rates seen since 2006. The final launch of the year was conducted on 25 December, by a Proton-M with three GLONASS
navigation satellites for the Russian government.
Suborbital spaceflight in 2008
saw a number of sounding rocket
and missile
launches. On 21 February, a RIM-161 Standard Missile 3
was used as an anti-satellite weapon
to destroy the USA-193
satellite. USA-193 was a US spy satellite which had failed immediately after launch in 2006.
rockets, and the maiden flight of the Vega rocket, however payload delays pushed one of the Arianes into 2009, and the Vega was delayed due to development issues. India had originally scheduled five to seven launches, however only three of these were conducted, mostly due to delays with the launch of Chandraayan-1. Japan scheduled three launches for 2008, of which one was launched; an H-IIA
with WINDS
in February. Russia and the former Soviet Union conducted twenty six launches, not including the international Sea and Land launch programmes, which conducted six. Fourteen launches were conducted by the United States, which had originally announced plans to launch many more, however technical issues with several rockets, particularly the Atlas V
, Delta II
and Falcon 1
, caused a number of delays. The Atlas problems, combined with a series of delays to the launch of NRO L-26
on a Delta IV, resulted in just two of ten planned EELV
launches being conducted. Two of six planned Space Shuttle
launches were also delayed to 2009, one due to problems with External Tank
delivery, and another due to a major systems failure on the Hubble Space Telescope
, which it was to have serviced. Israel
was not reported to have scheduled, or conducted an orbital launch attempt.
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
, including the first flyby of Mercury
Mercury (planet)
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
by a spacecraft since 1975, the discovery of water ice
Water ice
Water ice could refer to:# Ice formed by water # Italian ice, fruit flavoured deserts, sorbet# Ice made from flowing water in Ice climbing...
on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
by the Phoenix
Phoenix (spacecraft)
Phoenix was a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The Phoenix lander descended on Mars on May 25, 2008...
spacecraft, which landed in May, the first Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
spacewalk in September, and the launch of the first India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Lunar
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
probe
Exploration of the Moon
The physical exploration of the Moon began when Luna 2, a space probe launched by the Soviet Union, made an impact on the surface of the Moon on September 14, 1959. Prior to that the only available means of exploration had been observation. The invention of the optical telescope brought about the...
in October.
Overview
The internationally accepted definition of a spaceflight is any flight which crosses the Kármán lineKarman line
The Kármán line lies at an altitude of above the Earth's sea level, and is commonly used to define the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space...
, 100 kilometres above sea level. The first recorded spaceflight launch of the year occurred on 11 January, when a Black Brant
Black Brant (rocket)
The Black Brant is a Canadian-designed sounding rocket built by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over 800 Black Brants of various versions have been launched since they were first produced in 1961, and the type remains one of the most popular sounding rockets ever built...
was launched on a suborbital trajectory from White Sands
White Sands Missile Range
White Sands Missile Range is a rocket range of almost in parts of five counties in southern New Mexico. The largest military installation in the United States, WSMR includes the and the WSMR Otera Mesa bombing range...
, with the LIDOS ultraviolet astronomy payload. This was followed by the first orbital launch of the year on 15 January, by a Sea Launch
Sea Launch
Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets...
Zenit-3SL
Zenit-3SL
The Zenit-3SL is an expendable carrier rocket operated by Sea Launch. First flown in 1999, it has been launched 30 times, with two failures and one partial failure. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and is built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. RKK Energia produces the Block DM-SL upper...
, with the Thuraya 3 communications satellite. The launch marked the return to flight for Sea Launch following the explosion of a Zenit-3SL on the launch pad the previous January during an attempt to launch the NSS-8
NSS-8
NSS-8 was a Dutch telecommunications satellite that was destroyed during launch. It was a Boeing 702 spacecraft with 56 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders, and it was part of the SES NEW SKIES....
satellite.
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
, Long March 3C
Long March 3C
The Long March 3C , also known as the Chang Zheng 3C, CZ-3C and LM-3C, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. A 3-stage rocket with two strapon liquid rocket boosters, it is a member of the Long March 3 rocket family, and...
, Zenit-3SLB
Zenit-3SLB
The Zenit-3SLB or Zenit-3M is a Ukrainian expendable carrier rocket derived from the Zenit-2SLB. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, which were designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau...
, PSLV-XL
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that...
, and the operational version of the Falcon 1
Falcon 1
The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine...
, with an uprated Merlin-1C engine. These were all derived from existing systems. The Blue Sparrow and Sajjil
Sajjil
The Sejil missile , also known as Sajjil, is a family of Iranian solid-fueled ballistic missiles. The Sejil are replacements for the Shahab liquid-fueled ballistic missiles...
missiles also conducted their maiden flights, and the ATK Launch Vehicle
ALV X-1
ALV X-1 was to be a sounding rocket flight of a vehicle developed by Alliant Techsystems called the ATK Launch Vehicle . The rocket carried the SOAREX-VI and Hy-BoLT experiments as payloads. The flight was launched at 09:10 GMT on 2008-08-22, and then the rocket was intentionally destroyed 20...
made its only flight, but was destroyed by range safety
Range safety
In rocketry, range safety is assured by the systems which protect people and assets on the rocket range in cases when a launch vehicle might endanger them. Range safety is usually the responsibility of a Range Safety Officer...
after it went off course. In November, the baseline Proton-M
Proton-M
The Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is a Russian carrier rocket derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services , and generally...
was retired in favour of the Enhanced variant, first launched in 2007.
The first Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n satellites, Vinasat-1 and Venesat-1
Venesat-1
Venesat-1, also known as Simón Bolívar, is the first Venezuelan satellite. It was designed, built, launched, controlled and monitored by the CGWIC subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It is a communications satellite, which will be operated from a geosynchronous orbit...
respectively, were launched in 2008, while a failed Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian launch was reported to have been that country's first indigenous orbital launch attempt. In September, SpaceX
SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California...
conducted the first successful orbital launch of a privately developed and funded liquid-fuelled carrier rocket, when the fourth Falcon 1
Falcon 1
The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine...
launched RatSat
Falcon 1 Flight 4
Ratsat, was a 165-kilogram non-functional boilerplate spacecraft used as a mass simulator on the fourth flight of the Falcon 1 rocket. The non-functional payload was carried due to the Falcon 1 having failed on all of the three previous launches...
, following previous failures in 2006, 2007, and August.
Space exploration
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
launched its first Lunar probe, Chandraayan-1, on 22 October, with the spacecraft entering selenocentric orbit on 8 November. On 16 November, the Moon Impact Probe
Moon Impact Probe
The Moon Impact Probe developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation , India's national space agency, was a lunar probe that was released by ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter which in turn was launched, on 22 October 2008, aboard a modified version of ISRO's Polar Satellite...
was released, and crashed into the Lunar surface. Although no other spacecraft were launched beyond geocentric orbit
Geocentric orbit
A geocentric orbit involves any object orbiting the Earth, such as the Moon or artificial satellites. Currently there are approximately 2,465 artificial satellites orbiting the Earth and 6,216 pieces of space debris as tracked by the Goddard Space Flight Center...
in 2008, several significant events occurred in interplanetary flights which had been launched in previous years. MESSENGER
MESSENGER
The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging space probe is a robotic NASA spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004 to study the chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field of Mercury...
conducted flybys of Mercury in January and October, the first spacecraft to do so since Mariner 10
Mariner 10
Mariner 10 was an American robotic space probe launched by NASA on November 3, 1973, to fly by the planets Mercury and Venus. It was launched approximately two years after Mariner 9 and was the last spacecraft in the Mariner program...
in 1975. Cassini
Cassini-Huygens
Cassini–Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI spacecraft mission studying the planet Saturn and its many natural satellites since 2004. Launched in 1997 after nearly two decades of gestation, it includes a Saturn orbiter and an atmospheric probe/lander for the moon Titan, although it has also returned...
continued to make flybys of the moons of Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
, including several close passes of Enceladus
Enceladus (moon)
Enceladus is the sixth-largest of the moons of Saturn. It was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. Until the two Voyager spacecraft passed near it in the early 1980s very little was known about this small moon besides the identification of water ice on its surface...
, one at a distance of 25 kilometres. In September Rosetta
Rosetta (spacecraft)
Rosetta is a robotic spacecraft of the European Space Agency on a mission to study the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Rosetta consists of two main elements: the Rosetta space probe and the Philae lander. The spacecraft was launched on 2 March 2004 on an Ariane 5 rocket and will reach the comet by...
flew past the asteroid 2867 Šteins
2867 Šteins
2867 Šteins is a small main-belt asteroid that was discovered in 1969 by N. S. Chernykh. It is named after Kārlis Šteins, a Latvian and Soviet astronomer...
. On 25 May, the Phoenix
Phoenix (spacecraft)
Phoenix was a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The Phoenix lander descended on Mars on May 25, 2008...
spacecraft landed in the Green Valley
Green Valley (Mars)
Green Valley is a region on Mars within Vastitas Borealis that was chosen as the landing site of NASA's Phoenix lander. It is located at 68.35 degrees north, 233 degrees east. The valley is about 50 kilometres wide but only about 250 metres deep; either it was filled in or was never any deeper than...
on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
, where it discovered water ice
Water ice
Water ice could refer to:# Ice formed by water # Italian ice, fruit flavoured deserts, sorbet# Ice made from flowing water in Ice climbing...
. Phoenix exceeded its design life of 90 days, finally failing on 10 November. The Ulysses spacecraft, launched in 1990, was also retired in 2008.
Manned spaceflight
Seven manned flights were launched in 2008, one by ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, two by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and four by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In April, Yi So-yeon
Yi So-yeon
Yi So-yeon is a South Korean scientist and Ph.D. graduate of KAIST . On April 8, 2008, she became the first Korean and the second Asian woman to fly in space, after Chiaki Mukai.-Biography:Yi So-yeon was born to father Yi Gil-soo...
became the first South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n to fly in space, aboard Soyuz TMA-12
Soyuz TMA-12
Soyuz TMA-12 was a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station which was launched by a Soyuz FG rocket at 11:16 UTC on 8 April 2008. It docked to the Pirs module of the station on 10 April 2008. Landing occurred at 03:37 on 24 October...
. On the same flight, Sergey Volkov became the first second-generation cosmonaut. Yi returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-11
Soyuz TMA-11
Soyuz TMA-11 was a human spaceflight mission using a Soyuz-TMA spacecraft to transport personnel to and from the International Space Station . The mission began at 13:22 UTC on October 10, 2007 when the spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Soyuz FG launch vehicle...
, which nearly ended in disaster following a separation failure between the descent and service modules, resulting in a ballistic reentry
Ballistic reentry
A ballistic reentry is a type of atmospheric reentry of an artificial vehicle that relies solely on drag within the atmosphere to slow the vehicle....
. In September, China conducted its third manned mission, Shenzhou 7
Shenzhou 7
- Backup crew :Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space.- Mission highlights :The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft...
, from which Zhai Zhigang
Zhai Zhigang
Zhai Zhigang is an officer in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk.-Early career:...
and Liu Boming
Liu Boming (astronaut)
Liu Boming is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be an CNSA member in 1998.-CNSA career:...
conducted the first Chinese spacewalk. Soyuz TMA-13
Soyuz TMA-13
Soyuz TMA-13 was a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station . The spacecraft was launched by a Soyuz-FG rocket at 07:01 GMT on 12 October 2008. It undocked at 02:55 GMT on 8 April 2009, performed a deorbit burn at 06:24, and landed at 07:16...
, launched in October, was the hundredth flight of the Soyuz programme
Soyuz programme
The Soyuz programme is a human spaceflight programme that was initiated by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, originally part of a Moon landing project intended to put a Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon...
to carry a crew at some point in its mission.
Assembly of the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
continued, with the delivery of the Columbus
Columbus (ISS module)
Columbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency ....
module by on mission STS-122
STS-122
STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1....
in February. March saw the launch of the Jules Verne
Jules Verne ATV
The Jules Verne ATV, or Automated Transfer Vehicle 001 , was an unmanned cargo resupply spacecraft launched by the European Space Agency . The ATV was named after the French science-fiction author Jules Verne...
Automated Transfer Vehicle
Automated Transfer Vehicle
The Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is an expendable, unmanned resupply spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency . ATVs are designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload and experiments...
, an unmanned European spacecraft which was used to resupply the space station. Also in March, Space Shuttle launched on STS-123
STS-123
-Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: 336 kilometers * Apogee: 346 kilometers * Inclination: 51.6 degrees* Period: 91.6min-Mission payloads:...
with the first component of the Japanese Experiment Module
Japanese Experiment Module
The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124...
, the Experiment Logistics Module. STS-123 marked the final flight of the Spacelab
Spacelab
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory consisted of multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier and other related hardware housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay...
programme, with a SpaceLab pallet used to carry the Canadian-built Dextre RMS extension. The second JEM component, the main pressurised module, was launched by STS-124
STS-124
STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on 31 May 2008 at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of 25 May 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15...
, flown by in May. In November, Endeavour launched on the STS-126
STS-126
-Crew notes:Originally scheduled to fly on STS-126 was Joan E. Higginbotham, who was a mission specialist on STS-116. On 21 November 2007, NASA announced a change in the crew manifest due to Higginbotham's decision to leave NASA to take a job in the private sector. Stephen G...
logistics flight, with the Leonardo MPLM
Multi-Purpose Logistics Module
A Multi-Purpose Logistics Module is a large pressurized container used on Space Shuttle missions to transfer cargo to and from the International Space Station . An MPLM was carried in the cargo bay of a Shuttle and berthed to the Unity or Harmony modules on the ISS. From there, supplies were...
.
Launch failures
On 14 March, a Proton-M with a Briz-MBriz-M
The Briz-M , is a Russian orbit insertion upper stage manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and used on the Proton-M rocket.- Characteristics :...
upper stage launched AMC-14. Several hours later, on 15 March, the Briz-M engine cut off prematurely during a burn, leaving the satellite in a medium Earth orbit
Medium Earth Orbit
Medium Earth orbit , sometimes called intermediate circular orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit ....
. Following a small legal dispute, the satellite was sold, and raised to a geosynchronous orbit
Geosynchronous orbit
A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period...
by its manoeuvring thrusters, at the expense of a large amount of its fuel and hence operational life.
On 3 August, SpaceX launched the third Falcon 1. Due to residual thrust caused by the upgraded Merlin-1C engine which was being flown for the first time, the first stage recontacted the second during staging, resulting in the rocket failing to reach orbit. The Trailblazer
Trailblazer (satellite)
Trailblazer was a technology demonstration satellite, which was to have been operated by the United States Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency...
, PreSat
PREsat
The PharmaSat Risk Evaluation nanosatellite was about the size of a loaf of bread, weighed about 10 pounds and was constructed in just six months...
and NanoSail-D
NanoSail-D
NanoSail-D was a small satellite which was to have been used by NASA's Ames Research Center to study the deployment of a solar sail in space. It was a three-unit CubeSat measuring 30 by 10 by 10 centimetres , with a mass of...
satellites were lost in the failure, as was a space burial
Space burial
Space burial is a burial procedure in which a small sample of the cremated ashes of the deceased are placed in a capsule the size of a tube of lipstick and are launched into space using a rocket...
capsule, containing the remains of several hundred people, including astronaut Gordon Cooper
Gordon Cooper
Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. , also known as Gordon Cooper, was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot and NASA astronaut. Cooper was one of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first manned space effort by the United States...
, actor James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
, writer and director John Meredyth Lucas
John Meredyth Lucas
John Meredyth Lucas was an American writer, primarily for television.He was the son of screenwriter Bess Meredyth and writer/director Wilfred Lucas, and the adopted son of director Michael Curtiz.-Career:...
and Apollo mission planner Mareta West
Mareta West
Mareta N. West was an American astrogeologist who in the 1960s chose the site of the first manned lunar landing. She received her bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Oklahoma. Her cremated remains were launched into space aboard a SpaceLoft-XL rocket on April 28, 2007. This was a...
.
On 16 August, Iran launched a Safir, which though officially successful, was reported to have failed due to a second stage malfunction. The purpose of this launch is in doubt, as before the launch it was claimed that it would place the Omid into orbit, whilst following the launch, it was reported that a boilerplate payload had been launched. Other reports indicated that the launch was only a suborbital test of the rocket. If this was an orbital launch attempt, it was the first Iranian attempt to launch a satellite.
Summary of launches
GLONASS
GLONASS , acronym for Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema or Global Navigation Satellite System, is a radio-based satellite navigation system operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces...
navigation satellites for the Russian government.
Suborbital spaceflight in 2008
A number of Suborbital spaceflights were conducted during 2008. These consist mostly of sounding rocket missions and missile tests, and include other flights such as an ASAT firing...
saw a number of sounding rocket
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
and missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
launches. On 21 February, a RIM-161 Standard Missile 3
RIM-161 Standard Missile 3
The RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 is a ship-based missile system used by the US Navy to intercept short-to intermediate-range ballistic missiles as a part of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. Although primarily designed as an anti-ballistic missile, the SM-3 has also been employed in an...
was used as an anti-satellite weapon
Anti-satellite weapon
Anti-satellite weapons are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons. On September 13, 1985, the United States destroyed US...
to destroy the USA-193
USA 193
USA-193, also known as NRO launch 21 , was an American military spy satellite launched on December 14, 2006. It was the first launch conducted by the United Launch Alliance...
satellite. USA-193 was a US spy satellite which had failed immediately after launch in 2006.
By country
China conducted twelve orbital launches of a planned fifteen. Europe had intended to conduct seven launches of Ariane 5Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales...
rockets, and the maiden flight of the Vega rocket, however payload delays pushed one of the Arianes into 2009, and the Vega was delayed due to development issues. India had originally scheduled five to seven launches, however only three of these were conducted, mostly due to delays with the launch of Chandraayan-1. Japan scheduled three launches for 2008, of which one was launched; an H-IIA
H-IIA
H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary...
with WINDS
WINDS
WINDS , is a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, however a problem detected in a second stage manoeuvring thruster delayed it to 23 February...
in February. Russia and the former Soviet Union conducted twenty six launches, not including the international Sea and Land launch programmes, which conducted six. Fourteen launches were conducted by the United States, which had originally announced plans to launch many more, however technical issues with several rockets, particularly the Atlas V
Atlas V
Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance...
, Delta II
Delta II
Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011...
and Falcon 1
Falcon 1
The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine...
, caused a number of delays. The Atlas problems, combined with a series of delays to the launch of NRO L-26
USA 202
USA 202, previously NRO Launch 26 or NROL-26, is a classified spacecraft which is to be operated by the United States National Reconnaissance Office. It is believed to be either the first Intruder, or an Advanced Orion, ELINT satellite...
on a Delta IV, resulted in just two of ten planned EELV
EELV
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system program of the United States Air Force , intended to assure access to space for Department of Defense and other United States government payloads...
launches being conducted. Two of six planned Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
launches were also delayed to 2009, one due to problems with External Tank
Space Shuttle external tank
A Space Shuttle External Tank is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. During lift-off and ascent it supplies the fuel and oxidizer under pressure to the three Space Shuttle Main Engines in the orbiter...
delivery, and another due to a major systems failure on the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, which it was to have serviced. Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
was not reported to have scheduled, or conducted an orbital launch attempt.
Deep Space Rendezvous
| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 January | Cassini Cassini-Huygens Cassini–Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI spacecraft mission studying the planet Saturn and its many natural satellites since 2004. Launched in 1997 after nearly two decades of gestation, it includes a Saturn orbiter and an atmospheric probe/lander for the moon Titan, although it has also returned... |
40th flyby of Titan Titan (moon) Titan , or Saturn VI, is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found.... |
Closest approach: 1010 kilometres (627.6 mi) |
| 14 January | MESSENGER MESSENGER The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging space probe is a robotic NASA spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Delta II rocket in August 2004 to study the chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field of Mercury... |
1st flyby of Mercury Mercury (planet) Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits... |
Closest approach: 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) at 19:04 GMT |
| 22 February | Cassini | 41st flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1000 kilometres (621.4 mi) |
| 12 March | Cassini | 3rd flyby of Enceladus Enceladus (moon) Enceladus is the sixth-largest of the moons of Saturn. It was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. Until the two Voyager spacecraft passed near it in the early 1980s very little was known about this small moon besides the identification of water ice on its surface... |
Closest approach: 52 kilometres (32.3 mi) |
| 25 March | Cassini | 42nd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1000 kilometres (621.4 mi) |
| 12 May | Cassini | 43rd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1000 kilometres (621.4 mi) |
| 25 May | Phoenix Phoenix (spacecraft) Phoenix was a robotic spacecraft on a space exploration mission on Mars under the Mars Scout Program. The Phoenix lander descended on Mars on May 25, 2008... |
Landing on Mars Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance... |
Region D, Arctic area - Green Valley Green Valley (Mars) Green Valley is a region on Mars within Vastitas Borealis that was chosen as the landing site of NASA's Phoenix lander. It is located at 68.35 degrees north, 233 degrees east. The valley is about 50 kilometres wide but only about 250 metres deep; either it was filled in or was never any deeper than... , near the Heimdall Heimdall In Norse mythology, Heimdallr is a god who possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn, owns the golden-maned horse Gulltoppr, has gold teeth, and is the son of Nine Mothers... crater: 68°N, 236°E. Touchdown at 23:38 GMT. Successful |
| 28 May | Cassini | 44th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1400 kilometres (869.9 mi) |
| 31 July | Cassini | 45th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1613 kilometres (1,002.3 mi) |
| 11 August | Cassini | 4th flyby of Enceladus | Closest approach: 54 kilometres (33.6 mi) |
| 5 September | Rosetta Rosetta (spacecraft) Rosetta is a robotic spacecraft of the European Space Agency on a mission to study the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Rosetta consists of two main elements: the Rosetta space probe and the Philae lander. The spacecraft was launched on 2 March 2004 on an Ariane 5 rocket and will reach the comet by... |
Flyby of 2867 Šteins 2867 Šteins 2867 Šteins is a small main-belt asteroid that was discovered in 1969 by N. S. Chernykh. It is named after Kārlis Šteins, a Latvian and Soviet astronomer... |
Closest approach: 800 kilometres (497.1 mi) |
| 6 October | MESSENGER | 2nd flyby of Mercury | |
| 9 October | Cassini | 5th flyby of Enceladus | Closest approach: 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) |
| 31 October | Cassini | 6th flyby of Enceladus | Closest approach: 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) |
| 3 November | Cassini | 46th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1100 kilometres (683.5 mi) |
| 8 November | Chandrayaan-1 | Injection into Selenocentric orbit | Periselene: 504 kilometres (313.2 mi), Aposelene: 7502 kilometres (4,661.5 mi) |
| 14 November | MIP Moon Impact Probe The Moon Impact Probe developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation , India's national space agency, was a lunar probe that was released by ISRO's Chandrayaan-1 lunar remote sensing orbiter which in turn was launched, on 22 October 2008, aboard a modified version of ISRO's Polar Satellite... |
Landing on the Moon Moon landing A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned... |
Lunar Impactor |
| 19 November | Cassini | 47th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1023 kilometres (635.7 mi) |
| 5 December | Cassini | 48th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 960 kilometres (596.5 mi) |
| 21 December | Cassini | 49th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 970 kilometres (602.7 mi) |
- Distant, non-targeted flybys of DioneDione (moon)Dione is a moon of Saturn discovered by Cassini in 1684. It is named after the titan Dione of Greek mythology. It is also designated Saturn IV.- Name :...
, Enceladus, MimasMimas (moon)Mimas is a moon of Saturn which was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. It is named after Mimas, a son of Gaia in Greek mythology, and is also designated Saturn I....
, TethysTethys (moon)Tethys or Saturn III is a mid-sized moon of Saturn about across. It was discovered by G. D. Cassini in 1684 and is named after titan Tethys of Greek mythology. Tethys is pronounced |Odysseus]] is about 400 km in diameter, while the largest graben—Ithaca Chasma is about 100 km wide and...
and Titan by Cassini occurred throughout the year.
EVAs
| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Function | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 January 09:56 |
7 hours 10 minutes |
17:06 | (ISS ISS The ISS is the International Space Station.ISS may also refer to:* I See Stars, an American electronic rock band* ISS A/S, a Danish service company* Idea Star Singer, a Malayalam music reality show by Asianet TV... Quest) |
 Peggy WhitsonPeggy Whitson Peggy Annette Whitson is an American biochemistry researcher, NASA astronaut, and NASA's Chief Astronaut. Her first space mission was in 2002, with an extended stay aboard the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 5. Her second mission launched October 10, 2007, as the first female... Daniel M. TaniDaniel M. Tani Daniel Tani is an American engineer and a NASA astronaut. Although born in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, he considers Lombard, Illinois, to be his hometown... |
Replace motor and bearing in solar array joint | |
| 11 February 14:13 |
7 hours 58 minutes |
22:11 | STS-122 STS-122 STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1.... (ISS Quest) |
Rex J. Walheim Rex J. Walheim Rex Joseph Walheim is a United States Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut. He has flown three space shuttle missions, STS-110, STS-122, and STS-135. Rex has logged over 566 hours in space, including 36 hours and 23 minutes of spacewalk time... Stanley G. LoveStanley G. Love Dr. Stanley G. Love, PH.D. is an American scientist and a NASA astronaut.-Early Life:Stanley G. Love was born on June 8, 1965 to Glen A. Love and Rhoda M. Love in San Diego, California. However, Love has stated he considers Eugene, Oregon to be his hometown. Love graduated from Winston Churchill... |
Install Power Data Grapple Fixture Power Data Grapple Fixture A Power Data Grapple Fixture is a connection fixture used on the International Space Station . PDGFs can be "grappled" by the Canadarm2 robotic arm, in order to allow Canadarm2 to manipulate a grappled object, or be controlled by operators based inside the ISS.The Canadarm2 is self-relocatable and... on Columbus Columbus (ISS module) Columbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency .... |
Originally to have been conducted by Walheim and Hans Schlegel Hans Schlegel Hans Wilhelm Schlegel is a German physicist, an ESA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.-Early life and education:... , Love replaced Schlegel on medical grounds. |
| 13 February 14:27 |
6 hours 45 minutes |
21:12 | STS-122 (ISS Quest) |
Rex J. Walheim Hans SchlegelHans Schlegel Hans Wilhelm Schlegel is a German physicist, an ESA astronaut, and a veteran of two NASA Space Shuttle missions.-Early life and education:... |
Replace depleted nitrogen tank | |
| 15 February 12:07 |
7 hours 25 minutes |
20:32 | STS-122 (ISS Quest) |
Rex J. Walheim Stanley G. Love |
Install experiments on Columbus, load failed gyroscope onto Shuttle for return to Earth | |
| 14 March 01:18 |
7 hours 1 minute |
08:19 | STS-123 STS-123 -Mission parameters:* Mass:* Orbiter liftoff: * Orbiter landing: * Perigee: 336 kilometers * Apogee: 346 kilometers * Inclination: 51.6 degrees* Period: 91.6min-Mission payloads:... (ISS Quest) |
Garrett Reisman Garrett Reisman Garrett Erin Reisman is an American engineer and former NASA astronaut. He was a backup crew member for Expedition 15 and joined Expedition 16 aboard the International Space Station for a short time before becoming a member of Expedition 17. He returned to Earth 14 June 2008 on board STS-124 on... |
Install Kibo Japanese Experiment Module The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124... ELM-PS and start Dextre assembly |
|
| 15 March 23:49 |
7 hours 8 minutes |
16 March 06:57 |
STS-123 (ISS Quest) |
Richard M. Linnehan Michael Foreman Michael Foreman Michael James Foreman is an American astronaut.-Personal:Foreman was born in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio. He is married to Lorrie Dancer of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma... |
Dextre assembly | |
| 17 March 22:52 |
6 hours 53 minutes |
18 March 05:44 |
STS-123 (ISS Quest) |
Richard M. Linnehan Robert L. Behnken Robert L. Behnken Robert Louis "Bob" Behnken is an engineer, U. S. Air Force officer and a NASA astronaut. Behnken holds a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering and has reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Bob Behnken has logged over 1000 flight hours in 25 different aircraft. He flew on Space... |
Dextre assembly, install MISSE-6 Missé Missé is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is situated on the River Thouet some 5 km upstream from the town of Thouars, and is the site of a spectacular loop in the river.-References:*... experiment, and store spare parts outside the ISS |
MISSE installation failed |
| 20 March 22:04 |
6 hours 24 minutes |
21 March 04:08 |
STS-123 (ISS Quest) |
Robert L. Behnken Michael Foreman |
Test heat shield Space Shuttle thermal protection system The Space Shuttle thermal protection system is the barrier that protects the Space Shuttle Orbiter during the searing heat of atmospheric reentry... repair techniques |
|
| 22 March 20:34 |
6 hours 2 minutes |
23 March 02:36 |
STS-123 (ISS Quest) |
Robert L. Behnken Michael Foreman |
Store OBSS Orbiter Boom Sensor System The Orbiter Boom Sensor System is a 50-foot boom carried on board NASA's Space Shuttles. The boom can be grappled by the Canadarm and serves as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet... on ISS, retry MISSE-6 installation |
|
| 3 June 16:22 |
6 hours |
23:10 | STS-124 STS-124 STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on 31 May 2008 at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of 25 May 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15... (ISS Quest) |
Mike Fossum Ron Garan |
Install JEM Pressurised Module Japanese Experiment Module The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124... , Inspect SARJ, retrieve OBSS. |
|
| 5 June 15:04 |
7 hours 11 minutes |
22:15 | STS-124 (ISS Quest) |
Mike Fossum Ron Garan |
Adjust covers on JEM, Inspect SARJ. | |
| 8 June 13:55 |
6 hours 33 minutes |
20:28 | STS-124 (ISS Quest) |
Mike Fossum Ron Garan |
Replace nitrogen tank, inspect SARJ. | |
| 10 July 18:48 |
6 hours 18 minutes |
11 July 01:06 |
Expedition 17 Expedition 17 Expedition 17 was the 17th expedition to the International Space Station .The first two crew members, Sergey Volkov, and Oleg Kononenko were launched on 8 April 2008, aboard the Soyuz TMA-12... (ISS Pirs) |
 Sergei Volkov Oleg KononenkoOleg Kononenko Oleg Dmitriyevich Kononenko is a Russian cosmonaut.- Personal :Kononenko was born June 21, 1964, in Chardzhou, Turkmen SSR. He is married to Tatiana Mikhailovna Kononenko . They have a son, Andrey Olegovich Kononenko, and a daughter, Alisa Olegovna Kononenko. Kononenko enjoys reading, and team... |
Remove pyrotechnic bolt from Soyuz TMA-12 Soyuz TMA-12 Soyuz TMA-12 was a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station which was launched by a Soyuz FG rocket at 11:16 UTC on 8 April 2008. It docked to the Pirs module of the station on 10 April 2008. Landing occurred at 03:37 on 24 October... for inspection. |
|
| 15 July 17:08 |
5 hours |
23:02 | Expedition 17 |
Sergei Volkov Oleg Kononenko |
Install docking targeting equipment, rotate exposed experiments | |
08:38 |
22 minutes | 09:00 | Shenzhou 7 Shenzhou 7 - Backup crew :Of the back-up crew, only Chen Quan had not previously flown in space.- Mission highlights :The Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 7 into an initial elliptical orbit of 200 x 330 kilometres inclined at 42.4 degrees on 25 September 2008. About seven hours later the spacecraft... |
 Zhai ZhigangZhai Zhigang Zhai Zhigang is an officer in the People's Liberation Army Air Force and a CNSA astronaut. During the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, he became the first Chinese citizen to carry out a spacewalk.-Early career:... (full) Liu BomingLiu Boming (astronaut) Liu Boming is a Chinese pilot selected as part of the Shenzhou program. A fighter pilot in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, he was selected to be an CNSA member in 1998.-CNSA career:... (stand-up) |
Test spacesuit, collect experiment | First Chinese EVA |
| 18 November 18:09 |
6 hours 52 minutes |
01:01 |
STS-126 STS-126 -Crew notes:Originally scheduled to fly on STS-126 was Joan E. Higginbotham, who was a mission specialist on STS-116. On 21 November 2007, NASA announced a change in the crew manifest due to Higginbotham's decision to leave NASA to take a job in the private sector. Stephen G... (ISS Quest) |
Stephen G. Bowen Stephen G. Bowen Stephen Gerard Bowen is a US Navy submariner and a NASA astronaut; he was the second submariner to travel into space. Bowen has been on three spaceflights, all of which were Space Shuttle missions to the International Space Station... |
Transferred an empty nitrogen tank assembly from ESP3 to the shuttle’s cargo bay, transferred a new flex hose rotary coupler to ESP3 for future use, removed an insulation cover on the Kibo Exposed Facility berthing mechanism, began cleaning and lubrication of the starboard SARJ, and replacement of its 11 trundle bearing assemblies. | |
| 20 November 17:58 |
6 hours 45 minutes |
21 November 00:43 |
STS-126 (ISS Quest) |
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper Robert S. Kimbrough |
Relocated the two CETA carts from the starboard side of the Mobile Transporter to the port side, lubricated the station robotic arm’s latching end effector A snare bearings, continued cleaning and lubrication of the starboard SARJ | Conducted on tenth anniversary of the launch of the ISS |
| 22 November 18:01 |
6 hours 57 minutes |
23 November 00:58 |
STS-126 (ISS Quest) |
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper Stephen G. Bowen |
Completed cleaning and lubrication of all but one of the trundle bearing assemblies (TBA) on the starboard SARJ. | |
| 24 November 18:24 |
6 hours 7 minutes |
25 November 00:31 |
STS-126 (ISS Quest) |
Stephen G. Bowen Robert S. Kimbrough |
Completed replacement of trundle bearing assemblies on starboard SARJ, lubricated the port SARJ, installed a video camera, re‐installed insulation covers on the Kibo External Facility berthing mechanism, performed Kibo robotic arm grounding tab maintenance, installed spacewalk handrails on Kibo, installed Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) antennae on Kibo, photographed radiators, and photographed trailing umbilical system cables. | |
| 23 December 00:51 |
5 hours 38 minutes |
06:29 | Expedition 18 Expedition 18 Expedition 18 was the 18th permanent crew of the International Space Station .The first two crew members, Michael Fincke, and Yuri Lonchakov were launched on 12 October 2008, aboard Soyuz TMA-13. With them was astronaut Sandra Magnus, who joined the Expedition 18 crew after launching on STS-126 and... (ISS Pirs) |
Michael Fincke Yuri Lonchakov Yuri Lonchakov Yury Valentinovich Lonchakov is a Russian cosmonaut and a veteran of three space missions. He has spent 200 days in space and has conducted two career spacewalks.- Personal :... |
Install Langmuir probe Langmuir probe A Langmuir probe is a device named after Nobel Prize winning physicist Irving Langmuir, used to determine the electron temperature, electron density, and electric potential of a plasma. It works by inserting one or more electrodes into a plasma, with a constant or time-varying electric potential... , EXPOSE-R and IPI-SM experiments. |
EXPOSE-R installation failed |
By country
| Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 EuropeEurope Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
 InternationalInternational ----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries... |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Sea Launch Sea Launch Sea Launch is a spacecraft launch service that uses a mobile sea platform for equatorial launches of commercial payloads on specialized Zenit 3SL rockets... , Land Launch Land Launch Land Launch, a subsidiary of Sea Launch, conducts commercial launches of Zenit rockets from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 45. It operates two-stage Zenit-2SLB and three stage Zenit-3SLB rockets.... |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | First orbital launch attempt | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | ||
/ CISCommonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union.... |
26 | 25 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
By family
| Family | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariane |  Europe |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas Atlas (rocket family) Atlas is a family of U.S. space launch vehicles. The original Atlas missile was designed in the late 1950s and produced by the Convair Division of General Dynamics, to be used as an intercontinental ballistic missile... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Energia Energia Energia was a Soviet rocket that was designed by NPO Energia to serve as a heavy-lift expendable launch system as well as a booster for the Buran spacecraft. Control system main developer enterprise was the NPO "Electropribor"... |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| H-II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Falcon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Long March | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Pegasus | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| R-7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||
| R-14 R-14 Usovaya The R-14 Chusovaya was a theatre ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was given the NATO reporting name SS-5 Skean and was known by GRAU index 8K65. It was designed by Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel. Chusovaya is the name of a river in Russia... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| R-36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Safir | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| SLV Satellite Launch Vehicle The Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a project started in the early 1970s by Indian Space Research Organisation to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. The project was headed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. SLV was intended to reach a height of 400 km and carry a payload of... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Universal Rocket Universal Rocket The Universal Rocket or UR family of missiles and carrier rockets is a Russian, previously Soviet rocket family. Intended to allow the same technology to be used in all Soviet rockets, the UR is produced by the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre. Several variants were originally... |
11 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
By type
| Rocket | Country | Family | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariane 5 Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales... |
Europe |
Ariane | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... |
Atlas | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... |
Delta | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Dnepr | R-36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| H-IIA H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... |
H-II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Falcon 1 Falcon 1 The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine... |
Falcon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Kosmos Kosmos (rocket family) The Kosmos rockets are a series of Soviet and subsequently Russian rockets, derived from the R-12 and R-14 missiles, the most well known of which is the Kosmos-3M, which has made over 440 launches, and is still in service... |
R-12/R-14 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 2 | Long March | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 3 | Long March | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 4 | Long March | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Molniya Molniya (rocket) Molniya 8K78 was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages.This derivative of the original three stage Vostok rocket was especially designed to bring high flying satellites into orbit or to launch probes to other planets. The first launch of this rocket was on... |
R-7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Pegasus | Pegasus | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Proton | Universal Rocket | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | ||
| PSLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that... |
SLV | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Safir | Safir | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Soyuz | R-7 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... |
Space Shuttle | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| UR-100 UR-100 The UR-100 was an intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the Soviet Union from 1966 to 1996. УР in its designation stands for "универсальная ракета"... |
Universal Rocket | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Zenit | Energia | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
By configuration
| Rocket | Country | Type | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariane 5ES Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales... |
Europe |
Ariane 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Ariane 5ECA Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is, as a part of Ariane rocket family, an expendable launch system used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit or low Earth orbit . Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales... |
Europe |
Ariane 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... 411 |
Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Atlas V Atlas V Atlas V is an active expendable launch system in the Atlas rocket family. Atlas V was formerly operated by Lockheed Martin, and is now operated by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance... 421 |
Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... 7320 |
Delta II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... 7420 |
Delta II | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... 7920H |
Delta II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... 7925 |
Delta II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Dnepr-1 | Dnepr | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| H-IIA H-IIA H-IIA is an active expendable launch system operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency . The liquid-fueled H-IIA rockets have been used to launch satellites into geostationary orbit, to launch a lunar orbiting spacecraft, and to launch an interplanetary... 2024 |
H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Falcon 1 Falcon 1 The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine... |
Falcon 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | First successful launch | |
| Kosmos-3M | Kosmos | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 2C Long March 2C Long March 2C , or Chang Zheng 2C as in Chinese pinyin is a member of the Long March 2 rocket family, an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China. This vehicle was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, and the first launch occurred on November 26,... |
Long March 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 2D Long March 2D The Long March 2D , also known as the Chang Zheng 2D, CZ-2D and LM-2D, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is a 2-stage carrier rocket mainly used for launching LEO and SSO satellites. It is mainly launched from areas 2B and 2S at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center but can be launched from China's... |
Long March 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 2F Long March 2F The Long March 2F , also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian, is a Chinese manned orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March rocket family. Designed to launch manned Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a man-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based... |
Long March 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 3A Long March 3A The Long March 3A , also known as the Chang Zheng 3A, CZ-3A and LM-3A, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is a 3-stage rocket, and is usually used to place communications satellites and Beidou navigation satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits.It has formed the basis of the Long March... |
Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 3B Long March 3B The Long March 3B , also known as the Chang Zheng 3B, CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre... |
Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 3B/E Long March 3B The Long March 3B , also known as the Chang Zheng 3B, CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre... |
Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 3C Long March 3C The Long March 3C , also known as the Chang Zheng 3C, CZ-3C and LM-3C, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. A 3-stage rocket with two strapon liquid rocket boosters, it is a member of the Long March 3 rocket family, and... |
Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Long March 4B Long March 4B The Long March 4B , also known as the Chang Zheng 4B, CZ-4B and LM-4B is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Launched from Launch Complex 1 at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, it is a 3-stage rocket, used mostly to place satellites into low Earth and sun synchronous orbits... |
Long March 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Long March 4C Long March 4C The Long March 4C, also known as the Chang Zheng 4C, CZ-4C and LM-4C, previously designated Long March 4B-II, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from the Jiuquan and Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centres, and consists of 3 stages... |
Long March 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Molniya-M Molniya-M The Molniya-M , designation 8K78M, was a Russian carrier rocket derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. First launched in 1964, it had replaced its predecessor, Molniya, by the end of 1965... /2BL Block 2BL The Blok 2BL is a rocket stage, used as an upper stage on the some versions of the Molniya-M carrier rocket. It is used when the rocket was flown in the configuration used to launch Oko missile early warning defence spacecraft.... |
Molniya | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Pegasus-XL | Pegasus | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Proton-K Proton-K The Proton-K, also designated Proton 8K82K after its GRAU index, 8K82K, is a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and is launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan... /DM-3 |
Proton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Proton-M Proton-M The Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is a Russian carrier rocket derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services , and generally... /DM-2 |
Proton | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Proton-M Proton-M The Proton-M, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM, is a Russian carrier rocket derived from the Soviet-developed Proton. It is built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Commercial launches are marketed by International Launch Services , and generally... /Briz-M Briz-M The Briz-M , is a Russian orbit insertion upper stage manufactured by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and used on the Proton-M rocket.- Characteristics :... |
Proton | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | ||
| PSLV-C Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that... |
PSLV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PSLV-CA Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that... |
PSLV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| PSLV-XL Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that... |
PSLV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Rokot/Briz-KM | UR-100 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Safir | Safir | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight | |
| Soyuz-2.1b | Soyuz | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Soyuz-FG Soyuz-FG The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle is an improved version of the Soyuz-U, from the R-7 family of rockets, designed and constructed by TsSKB-Progress in Samara... |
Soyuz | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Soyuz-FG Soyuz-FG The Soyuz-FG launch vehicle is an improved version of the Soyuz-U, from the R-7 family of rockets, designed and constructed by TsSKB-Progress in Samara... /Fregat Fregat Fregat is a type of rocket stage developed by NPO Lavochkin in the 1990s. Its main engine is a liquid propellant rocket that uses UDMH and N2O4 as propellants.- Specifications :... |
Soyuz | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Soyuz-U Soyuz-U The Soyuz-U launch vehicle is an improved version of the original Soyuz LV. Soyuz-U is part of the R-7 family of rockets based on the R-7 Semyorka missile. Members of this rocket family were designed by the TsSKB design bureau and constructed at the Progress Factory in Samara, Russia.... |
Soyuz | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... |
Space Shuttle | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Zenit-3SL Zenit-3SL The Zenit-3SL is an expendable carrier rocket operated by Sea Launch. First flown in 1999, it has been launched 30 times, with two failures and one partial failure. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, and is built by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. RKK Energia produces the Block DM-SL upper... |
Zenit | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Zenit-3SLB Zenit-3SLB The Zenit-3SLB or Zenit-3M is a Ukrainian expendable carrier rocket derived from the Zenit-2SLB. It is a member of the Zenit family of rockets, which were designed by the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau... |
Zenit | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
By launch site
| Site | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baikonur Baikonur Cosmodrome The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level... |
19 | 18 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Dombarovsky Dombarovsky Dombarovsky is an interceptor aircraft base in Orenburg Oblast, Russia located 6 km northwest of the village of Dombarovsky, near Yasny... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Jiuquan Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is a People's Republic of China space vehicle launch facility .The facility is part of Dongfeng Aerospace City , and is located in the Gobi desert, Ejin Banner , Alxa League , Inner Mongolia, situated about 1,600 km from Beijing.- History :It was founded in 1958,... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kapustin Yar Kapustin Yar Kapustin Yar is a Russian rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan Oblast, between Volgograd and Astrakhan. Known today as Znamensk , it was established 13 May 1946 and in the beginning used technology, material, and scientific support from defeated Germany... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kennedy Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Kwajalein Atoll | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Two launches used Stargazer Stargazer (aircraft) Stargazer, registration number N140SC, is a modified Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft used by Orbital Sciences Corporation as a mother ship launch pad for Pegasus rockets... aircraft |
|
| Kourou | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Ocean Odyssey Ocean Odyssey |-External links:*... |
International |
5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Plesetsk Plesetsk Cosmodrome Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport, located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk.-Overview:... |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Satish Dhawan Satish Dhawan Space Centre The Satish Dhawan Space Centre is the launch centre for the Indian Space Research Organisation . It is located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India, north of Chennai in South India. It was originally called Sriharikota High Altitude Range , and was sometime known as Sriharikota Launching Range... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Semnan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | First orbital launch attempt | |
| Taiyuan Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 25 , is a People's Republic of China space and defence launch facility . It is situated in Kelan County, Xinzhou Prefecture, Shanxi Province and is the second of three launch sites having been founded in March 1966 and coming into full... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Tanegashima Tanegashima Space Center The is one of Japan's space development facilities. It is located on Tanegashima, an island located 115 km south of Kyūshū. It was established in 1969 when the National Space Development Agency of Japan was formed... |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Vandenberg Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command .... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Xichang Xichang Satellite Launch Center The Xichang Satellite Launch Center also known as Base 27 , is a People’s Republic of China space vehicle launch facility approximately 64 km northwest of Xichang City, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province.... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
By orbit
| Orbital regime | Launches | Successes | Failures | Accidentally Achieved |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Earth orbit Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... |
36 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 11 to ISS |
| Medium Earth orbit Medium Earth Orbit Medium Earth orbit , sometimes called intermediate circular orbit , is the region of space around the Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit .... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |
| Geosynchronous Geosynchronous orbit A geosynchronous orbit is an orbit around the Earth with an orbital period that matches the Earth's sidereal rotation period... /transfer |
25 | 24 | 1 | 0 | |
| High Earth orbit High Earth orbit A High Earth Orbit is a geocentric orbit whose apogee lies above that of a geosynchronous orbit .Highly Elliptical Orbits are a subset of High Earth Orbits.-Examples of satellites in High Earth Orbit:... |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Including lunar transfer and Molniya orbit Molniya orbit Molniya orbit is a type of highly elliptical orbit with an inclination of 63.4 degrees, an argument of perigee of -90 degree and an orbital period of one half of a sidereal day... s |
See also
- List of human spaceflights, 2000-present
- Suborbital spaceflight in 2008Suborbital spaceflight in 2008A number of Suborbital spaceflights were conducted during 2008. These consist mostly of sounding rocket missions and missile tests, and include other flights such as an ASAT firing...
- Timeline of spaceflight