NACA flight 51. Wing loads and aileron effectiveness. Elevator and stabilizer pull-ups, clean stalls. References: 49 , 97 .

Composition research. Launched at 0822 local time. Reached 85.9 km.

In the summer of 1957 physicist Bob Brownlee attempted to 'contain' the blast effects of an atomic explosion from a device placed at the bottom of a 500 foot vertical shaft in the Nevada desert. A four-inch-thick steel plate weighing 'several hundred pounds' is placed over the hole (diameter not specified). This blew off as expected in the blast and was seen in films to depart the area at six times escape velocity . Brownlee never publicly challenged the Soviet's claim (to having launched the 1st Earth satellite. References: 92 .

8000 km range

KH-1 prototype; designed to test capsule recovery system; did not carry camera; capsule successfully recovered from ocean. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Maximum Speed - 4401 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23830 m. Lost cabin pressure. References: 38 , 49 , 97 .

Maximum Speed - 5712 kph. Maximum Altitude - 82601 m. Astronaut wings flight (USAF definition). References: 33 , 38 , 49 , 97 .

Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Lunar Orbiter I was launched from Cape Kennedy Launch Complex 13 at 3:26 p.m. EDT August 10 to photograph possible Apollo landing sites from lunar orbit. The Atlas-Agena D launch vehicle injected the spacecraft into its planned 90-hour trajectory to the moon. A midcourse correction maneuver was made at 8 p.m. the next day; a planned second midcourse maneuver was not necessary. A faultless deboost maneuver on August 14 achieved the desired initial elliptic orbit around the moon, and one week later the spacecraft was commanded to make a transfer maneuver to place it in a final close-in elliptic orbit of the moon.

During the spacecraft's stay in the final close-in orbit, the gravitational fields of the earth and the moon were expected to influence the orbital elements. The influence was verified by spacecraft tracking data, which showed that the perilune altitude varied with time. From an initial perilune altitude of 58 kilometers, the perilune decreased to 49 kilometers. At this time an orbit adjustment maneuver began an increase in the altitude, which was expected to reach a maximum after three months and then begin to decrease again. The spacecraft was expected to impact on the lunar surface about six months after the orbit adjustment.

During the photo-acquisition phase of the flight, August 18 to 29, Lunar Orbiter I photographed the 9 selected primary potential Apollo landing sites, including the one in which Surveyor I landed; 7 other potential Apollo landing sites; the east limb of the moon; and 11 areas on the far side of the moon. Lunar Orbiter I also took photos of the earth, giving man the first view of the earth from the vicinity of the moon (this particular view has been widely publicized). A total of 207 frames (sets of medium- and high-resolution pictures) were taken, 38 while the spacecraft was in initial orbit, the remainder while it was in the final close-in orbit. Lunar Orbiter I achieved its mission objectives, and, with the exception of the high-resolution camera, the performance of the photo subsystem and other spacecraft subsystems was outstanding. At the completion of the photo readouts, the spacecraft had responded to about 5,000 discrete commands from the earth and had made about 700 maneuvers.

Photographs obtained during the mission were assessed and screened by representatives of the Lunar Orbiter Project Office, U.S. Geological Survey, DOD mapping agencies, MSC, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The spacecraft was deliberately crashed into moon after the mission was completed. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 16 , 278 .

Applications Technology Satellite; Centaur oxidizer leak. No restart. Launch vehicle was to have put payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit, instead was left in useless LEO orbit. Carried ion engine. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 126 , 278 .

Suborbital. References: 5 .

High resolution photo reconnaissance mission. References: 42 .

Ferry flight, shuttle carrier aircraft/Enterprise (OV-101), KSC to Atlanta (1 hour, 55 minutes) References: 15 .

Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Geostationary meteorological satellite. N launch vehicle flight number 8 (N-II launch vehicle). Launch time 2003 UT. Launching organization: National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). Geostationary longitude 140 deg E. Function: 1) Observation of meteorological phenomena by the visible and infra-red spin scan radiometer. 2) Collection of weather data from various stations. 3) Distribution of weather data to earth stations. 4) Monitoring of solar particles. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

High resolution photo reconnaissance; returned film in two small SpK capsules during the mission and with the main capsule at completion of the mission. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 69 .

Glonass test flight. Testing components and apparatus from the space navigation system being set up to determine the position of the Soviet civil aircraft and vessels in the Soviet navy and fishing fleet. Three satellites launched by a single carrier rocket. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 274 .

Glonass test flight. Testing components and apparatus from the space navigation system being set up to determine the position of the Soviet civil aircraft and vessels in the Soviet navy and fishing fleet. Three satellites launched by a single carrier rocket. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 274 .

Glonass test flight. Testing components and apparatus from the space navigation system being set up to determine the position of the Soviet civil aircraft and vessels in the Soviet navy and fishing fleet. Three satellites launched by a single carrier rocket. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 274 .

Operation of the long-range telephone and telegraph radio communications system in the USSR; transmission of USSR Central Television programmes to stations in the Orbita network. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Ocean sensing, mapping. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Korean's first satellite achieved via a technology transfer programme with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. Carried store and forward communications, DSP and Earth observation payloads. Still operational in 2000. Additional Details: Oscar 23. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

An industrial research microsatellite built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) for Matra and CNES to carry out 'Little LEO' communications service experiments. Still operational in 2000. S80/T was designed to investigate the technical feasibility of using a constellation of small satellites placed in near-Earth orbit to provide global communications and position location using only hand-held terminals. S80/T was the first fully commercial application of the SSTL multi-mission, modular microsatellite platform developed at the University of Surrey. The same basic platform was also used for the Korean KITSAT-A microsatellite, which accompanied S80/T into orbit on the same launch. The S80/T mission was completed, from concept to launch, within one year and SSTL delivered the platform, associated groundstation equipment and would be providing operations support during the mission within a contract of less than �1M. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

Covered Oko constellation plane 9 - 235 degree longitude of ascending node. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 100 .

16 Ku-band transponders. Stationed at 41.92 deg E. References: 2 , 5 , 6 .

28 C-band transponders, 1 X-band transponder (military). Stationed at 70.05 deg W. References: 2 , 5 , 6 .