February 02

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February 02

1909 - Nation: USA.

Goddard Lox/LH2 rocket concept
Goddard realises his earlier nested gun concept is not practical - he calculates it will take 56 tons of explosive to launch a 500 pound payload to an altitude of 2,000 miles. He realises Lox/LH2 will make the ideal rocket fuel, although he is still thinking in terms of explosive pulses. References: 377 .

1951 - Nation: USSR. Launch Vehicle: R-1.

R-1 flight.
Last launch in winter test series. References: 283 , 344 .

1954 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. LV Configuration: RTV-N-10.

Aerobee NRL-20 Agency: US Navy, Naval Research Laboratory. Apogee: 101 km.
Solar ultraviolet research. Launched at 1135 local time. Reached 101 km.

1957 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Holloman . Launch Vehicle: Aerobee. LV Configuration: AJ 10-33.

Aerobee USAF-76 Agency: USAF Air Research and Development Command. Apogee: 141 km.
Ethylene gas release (Firefly). Launched at 0105 local time. Reached 140.6 km.

1959 - Nation: USA. Launch Vehicle: Saturn I.

Booster name changed from Juno V to Saturn Program: Apollo.
The Army proposed that the name of the large clustered-engine booster be changed from Juno V to Saturn, since Saturn was the next planet after Jupiter. Roy W. Johnson, Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, approved the name on February 3. References: 16 .

1961 - Nation: USA. Launch Vehicle: Saturn C-3BN, Saturn C-5N, Saturn I RIFT.

NERVA Request for Proposal. Program: NERVA.
NASA-AEC Space Nuclear Propulsion Office invited industry to submit proposals for participation in development of Nerva (nuclear engine for rocket vehicle application), a part of Project Rover initiated in 1955 by USAF-AEC. References: 18 .

1961 - Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: R-16. FAILURE: Failure.

R-16 test flight. References: 98 .

1965 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A. LV Configuration: X-15 No. 3 Flight 40.

X-15 Flight 126 Program: X-15. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: X-15A. Flight Crew: Engle.
Maximum Speed - 6253 kph. Maximum Altitude - 29931 m. References: 38 , 49 , 97 .

1966 - - 21:32 GMT. Nation: USA. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: PALC1-1. Launch Vehicle: TA Thor Agena D. LV Configuration: Thor 2C s/n 450 / Agena D SS-01B s/n 1623.

KH-4A 1029 Payload: KH-4A s/n 1029 / Agena D 1623. Mass: 1,500 kg. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-4A. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Perigee: 182 km. Apogee: 428 km. Inclination: 75.0 deg. Period: 90.6 min. COSPAR: 1966-007A.
KH-4A. Both panoramic cameras were operational throughout. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
SRV 705 Payload: SRV 1029-1. Spacecraft: KH-4A. COSPAR: 1966-007xx. References: 279 .
SRV 706 Payload: SRV 1029-2. Spacecraft: KH-4A. COSPAR: 1966-007xx. References: 279 .

1967 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: SLC4E. Launch Vehicle: SLV-3 Atlas / Agena D. LV Configuration: Atlas s/n 7102 / Agena D.

Agena D Spacecraft: KH-7. COSPAR: 1967-007B. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 278 .
KH 7-36 Payload: KH-7 no. 36. Mass: 2,000 kg. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-7. Agency: U.S. Air Force. Perigee: 136 km. Apogee: 357 km. Inclination: 103.0 deg. Period: 89.5 min. COSPAR: 1967-007A.
KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 278 .

1977 - - 12:28 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M s/n 53746-306.

Cosmos 891 Mass: 900 kg. Class: Calibration. Spacecraft: Taifun-1. Perigee: 472 km. Apogee: 516 km. Inclination: 65.8 deg. Period: 94.5 min. COSPAR: 1977-006A.
Radar calibration mission. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

1981 - - 02:24 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Complex: LC90. Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2.

Cosmos 1243 Program: ASAT. Mass: 1,400 kg. Class: Military. Type: ASAT. Spacecraft: IS-A. Perigee: 294 km. Apogee: 1,013 km. Inclination: 65.8 deg. Period: 97.8 min. COSPAR: 1981-010A.
ASAT interceptor. Approached within 50 m of target, but explosive charge did not go off as planned. Deorbited to destructive reentry in the atmosphere. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 272 .

1984 - - 17:31 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M s/n 47139-532.

Cosmos 1535 Mass: 810 kg. Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: Parus. Perigee: 951 km. Apogee: 1,012 km. Inclination: 83.0 deg. Period: 104.7 min. COSPAR: 1984-010A.
Military navigation satellite. Replaced Cosmos 1428. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

1987 - - 23:31 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Complex: LC90. Launch Vehicle: Tsyklon 2.

Cosmos 1818 Program: RORSAT. Payload: US-AM no. 1. Mass: 3,800 kg. Class: Surveillance. Type: Naval Radarsat. Spacecraft: US-AM. Perigee: 774 km. Apogee: 803 km. Inclination: 65.0 deg. Period: 100.6 min. COSPAR: 1987-011A.
Ocean surveillance. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .

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